A record fire season is underway in California this year, with over 3.1 million acres of land burned. The news lead followed this week on Twitter was the devastating wildfires across the state of California and the millions of people this fire has displaced. Over the course of the week, new developments have occurred about the fires on Twitter, including the latest about Trump’s upcoming visit to the state.
At the beginning of last week on Twitter, new details emerged that the latest fire was sparked by a couple’s gender reveal party. According to the California Fire San Bernardino Unit, the fire was caused by “a smoke generating pyrotechnic device.” Many residents and Twitter users were angry to hear about the cause of the fire. The evacuations were ordered for Oak Glen, Mountain Home Village, Forest Falls and North Bench Yucaipa. The Yucaipa police department actively used Twitter to give information about the fires.
Credit: ABC7 News Twitter
Credit: Yucaipa Police Twitter
As the week continued, the wildfires spread further across California, Oregon and parts of Washington, destroying homes and killing individuals. Many more had to evacuate their homes, as extreme heat and wind fueled the fires. Individuals took to Twitter to share images of the chilling orange sky. People described how difficult it is to breathe outside, and compared the sky to being in an “apocalypse.”
Credit: Rachel Bishop Twitter
Credit: AJplus Twitter
As last week came to a close and the new week began, the fires continued to ravage on. President Trump is expected to make an appearance in California later on Monday, and be faced with the effects of climate change. President Trump and other Republicans have insisted that the fires are due to poor forest management, while experts assess that climate change is the cause of many of these fires. Scientists have stated that the rising temperatures on the planet are making fire seasons significantly longer, and creating much more destruction. Voters may hold him accountable for pushing off the science and making no attempt to minimize the effects of natural disasters.
Credit: David Axelrod Twitter
Trump’s visit to California will be a two-hour stop during his trip to battleground states in the west. Trump only first tweeted about the fires on Friday night and has been mostly quiet about the state of the fires.
Overall, Twitter has been an excellent source of information about the wildfires in California. Residents are able to clearly see evacuation orders, while other Americans can keep up with the latest developments.
Amelia Morel 