The wildfires in California that began over a week ago prompted thousands of people to evacuate. There are two fires: the Camp fire and the Woolsey fire. As of Wednesday evening, the Camp fire burned 138,000 acres, destroyed 10,321 structures and homes, and claimed the lives of fifty-six people. It is 35 percent contained. On the other hand, the Woolsey fire burned 98,362 acres, destroyed 435 structures (57,000 are still in danger), claimed the lives of three people, and is 52 percent contained.

Deputies, officials, and National Guard troops are searching for human remains in what’s left of homes, buildings, and cars; as of now, there is a total of 631 people missing.

As a result of the smoke from the fires, the air quality in California is very poor. According to USA Today, the air quality in Northern California (as of Thursday) was the worst in the world. The whole area is under an “air quality alert”. Google reported that the searches for ‘smoke masks’ were the highest in their history. According to the EPA, wildfire smoke can cause or worsen health problems, such as reduced lung function, infectious bronchitis, asthma and heart failure.

A fundraiser by CBS Los Angeles, who teamed up with the Los Angeles Rams and United Way, raised over $1.1 million in a telethon on Wednesday. Even though the telethon is over, you can still donate to support the firefighters  and their efforts at: https://www.unitedwayla.org/en/give/disaster-relief-fund/