In an interview with the Tagesschau news programme, Ulrich Cimolino, head of the forest fire working group at the German Firefighters’ Association, describes the enormous challenges involved in fighting the fire in California, particularly due to the strong Santa Ana winds, which spread the fire quickly. Despite these adverse conditions, the fire brigade did a lot of things right with targeted evacuations and the use of retardants, which is reflected in the comparatively low number of fatalities. Cimolino criticises the widespread use of timber construction in the USA, which exacerbates fires, and emphasises the need to better educate the population about fire safety measures. While the fire brigade in California is well equipped, he believes that Germany is lagging behind in many areas. The current fire situation remains critical, but with decreasing wind speeds, the situation could improve in the coming days.
You can find the full interview here.