The Situation in California Is Not Good

Tens of thousands of Californians are being forced to evacuate their homes as wildfires eat the northern part of the state alive. If that wasn’t enough, some people are now looting the abandoned houses. We live in hell!

In one particularly unfortunate instance, someone burglarized the car of a firefighter out battling the blaze, stealing his wallet and draining his bank account, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart told reporters.

“To me, it’s just mind-boggling that somebody would have the audacity to do something like that,” he said.

At least 13 people have been arrested on suspicion of “looting or planning to loot” within Santa Cruz County.

One evacuee named David Brewster told SF Gate that the threat of being burglarized is concerning, because “literally, everything we own is there.” He added that he feels really sad that there are people “in a low enough place that they would prey on others in this way.”

As of Sunday the fires had charred more than one million acres and killed six people. They ignited following thousands of entirely unseasonable lightning strikes last week, with more lightning expected this week. The smoke, which has spread thick and heavy throughout the region, has created some of the worst air quality on the planet.