There has been a forest fire in Los Angeles, California, USA for the last two days. Now it is becoming so dangerous that it has spread from forests to residential areas of the city. The situation is so serious that 1.30 lakh people have been ordered to vacate the area immediately. Out of which more than 70 thousand people have left their homes. Many posh areas of Hollywood have also become victims of this fire. Such fires are often found in forest areas of countries like America and Australia. In which dry winds blow with sparks in the forest and cause fire. Do you know how these winds are formed and why and how they make forest fires so dangerous?
What are the ‘Santa Ana’ winds?
The fire in Los Angeles is being called the worst fire in 16 years. The city of Los Angeles in California is located among the mountains. There are pine forests here. The fire started due to the burning of these dry barrel trees. The ‘Santa Ana’ winds blowing at speeds of up to 160 km per hour are particularly responsible for making it worse. These winds, which usually blow during the autumn season, are very hot. Its greatest impact falls on Southern California. Their speed can reach 80-100 kilometers per hour. They are dry, hot and very strong. As it passes through the mountains it gets heated and destroys the moisture present in the air. This wind dries the forests so much that it becomes difficult to extinguish the fire. With these winds the flames spread rapidly and destroyed homes and farms. When these winds blow, suffocating smoke and ash make people’s lives more difficult.
How do these ‘Santa Ana’ winds form?
Santa Ana winds form when high pressure builds in the Great Basin (a large desert area of the western United States). When air falls downwards it loses its moisture. This wind then flows clockwise toward Southern California. Before reaching here one has to pass through high mountains standing between the desert and coastal areas.
Just as when a river enters a narrow valley, its speed increases, similarly winds also become faster. It becomes stronger, drier and hotter while passing through mountain passes and valleys. This causes the moisture level in the air to become extremely low, sometimes to just one percent. Trees and plants become ready to catch fire like paper. Secondly, the sheer speed of these winds is enough to turn any spark into a wildfire. Whether it’s downed power lines or cigarette ashes, Santa Ana winds blow them into flames that are difficult to control.
They also take people hostage
People call these winds ‘demonic’ because they not only spread fire but also make people irritable and restless. These winds blow more between October and March and are impossible to stop. Scientists believe that due to climate change and global warming they are becoming more dangerous. This is because due to climate change the temperature is increasing and it is not raining. Due to which incidents of fire are coming before time.
