LA is burning – again!

Someone throws a cigarette butt on the ground and a thousand trees burn. Things like that happen every year in the mountains and forests around Los Angeles, especially when the weather is hot and dry like it is now.

Last year 63 wildfires in California burned more than 330,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of homes. The worst fire happened just north of LA and killed two fire fighters. This year’s fires have already begun.

Last week a fire in the Angeles National Forest, north of the city, burnt 14,000 acres, destroyed four homes and injured six people. It took more than 1,300 fire fighters to put it out.

Some of the fires here start when lightning hits a tree or the ground. But many of them start because people do stupid things like throw cigarettes on the ground or leave campfires burning.

Firefighters think last week’s fire started because someone was working on a car wheel and caused a spark. That’s all it takes – one spark to burn a forest. Wow!