As you have no doubt heard, hundreds of wildfires are raging all across California. The fires which were ignited by lighting are causing some major issues in regards to air quality for those living in the area.  According to Dimitri Stanich of the Californina Air Resources Board, “When you have it on the scale we are seeing now, it is very dangerous to the general public health. This is a very serious problem.”  Over the weekend the government took a few major steps in hopes of getting area firefighters some much needed help. Almost all of the northern half of the state was put under a “red flag” warning (the highest level for fire warnings) and then President Bush issued a state of emergency for the entire state.

With state officials wondering just how much money the fires will end up costing them the government has made available a team of Nasa satellite researchers, federal firefighters, several Marine helicopters and is letting the state know that more resources are available. Per FEMA regional director Bob Fenton “At this point what we're providing are the immediate resources needed to save lives. If there's additional requirements above and beyond that I'm sure the state will be bringing that to our attention.”

While the 17,000 firefighters work around the clock to help prevent the fire from destroying over 10,000 homes, veterinarians are asking people to not forget their pets. According to one recent report “Some veterinary offices said pet owners were bringing in dogs and cats with symptoms ranging from weepy eyes and irritated skin to difficulty breathing or unusual lethargy. Vets were advising that pets remain inside until the smoke clears.”