In the wake of this fall's wildfires in Northern California (which destroyed over 8,400 homes and 7,500 structures) the sunshine state has been hit with four more just this week. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate from their homes and schools since the fires began devestating areas throughout Southern California on Tuesday.

So far, over 60 acres of land has been affected by the fires. With the newest fire erupting in West Los Angeles, The Getty Center, a prominent art museum near the source of the blaze, is now at risk and as of Dec. 6 and 7 has been closed to the public. Though California is prone to seasonal wildfires, the damage and frequency of this years wildfires is unprecedented. 2017 was named as the worst wildfire season in the state's history, a designation that was given prior to these fires.

The amount of wildfires occuring this far into the winter is extremely unsual for California. This disturbing new trend is the result of warmer and direr conditions in the region said to be due to climate change. To make matters worse, the fires are gaining strength thanks to dry winds. These conditions, paired with an unseasonably warm winter accross the country in general, do not spell good news for California.

In response to the current situation, both the mayor of Los Angeles and governor of California have declared a state of emergency. As the situation continues to develop we can only hope for the safety of California and its residents and that people begin to take the idea of climate change more seriously.

How do you feel about the wildfires in California? Let us know in the comments.

Photo credit: CNN