Mark Hamillhas shared a harrowing update after evacuating Malibu with his wife Marilou York and their dog Trixie. More than 30,000 people have been forced to evacuate from wildfires raging in Californian suburbs, including Hollywood celebrities from Malibu. It’s not traditional wildfire season, but the Santa Ana winds are fanning these flames after months of drought.
Mark Hamill has taken toInstagramto share a harrowing account of his own evacuation, speaking of his family “fleeing for [their] lives.” According to Hamill, there were fires burning on both sides of the road as they fled, but they are safe. “Most horrific fire since ‘93,“Hamill observed, appealing to everyone to stay safe.
Why This Year’s Wildfires Are So Dangerous
Firefighters had known this winter would be a dangerous one. California has been in a state of drought for nine months, meaning vegetation is like tinder.“We just haven’t had any rain,“Matt Shameson - a meteorologist with the Southern California Geographic Area Coordination Center in Riverside - toldThe Washington Post.Downtown Los Angeles has recorded only 0.16 inches of rain since the start of the water year; on average, it’s typically seen more than 4 inches by this point in the season.
The strong, dry Santa Ana winds typically see humidity levels drop to single-digit percentages, and they’re linked to some of the worst wildfires in Californian history. According to the National Weather Service,this year’s Santa Ana winds have whipped up speeds of 99 miles per hour in the San Gabriel Mountains, and the strong gusts have spread embers, making it almost impossible to create firebreaks and dangerous for any firefighting aircraft.
Mark Hamill Speaks For Us All When He Calls For People To Stay Safe
Mark Hamillsurely speaks for us all when he appeals for people to stay safe. Although celebrities are naturally the ones who catch the public eye, the reality is that tens of thousands of lives are affected by these wildfires, and the world can only watch in sorrow and sympathy as emergency crews fight against the flames.
