David McNew: Flammable California

FALLBROOK, CALIF.: Homes burn up in flames at the Valley Oaks mobile home park along Reche Road, west of Interstate 15, near Fallbrook, Calif., as the Rice Fire destroys at least 100 homes, Oct. 22, 2007. Southern California is being pounded by Santa Ana Winds pushing numerous major wildfires into communities surrounded by native chaparral habitat and burning hundreds of homes. Gale-force winds have sped up to more than 100 miles per hour in some high mountain locations. About one-quarter of a million people have been evacuated from their homes so far.

LAKE ISABELLA, Calif: The Piute fire burns out of control south of Isabella Lake as more than 1,400 wildfires continue to burn across about 550 square miles of central and northern California, July 1, 2008. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in Kern County because of the Piute fire that is threatening several communities in the mountains east of Bakersfield, Calif. Firefighters have completed fire containment lines around 11 percent of the 11,500-acre fire growing in the Sequoia National Forest. Last week, President Bush declared a state of emergency for the entire state of California because of the hundreds of fires burning since dry lightning storms crossed the state on June 20. Making matters worse for the more than 19,000 firefighters from 42 other states battling the wildfires, drought is wicking moisture from the vegetation which leads fire experts to fear a possible repeat of the firestorms of 2003 and 2007 that destroyed thousands of homes in Southern California.

GOLETA, CALIF.: A firefighting airtanker drops Phos-Check fire retardant over the Gap fire near Goleta as more than 1,000 wildfires continue burning across about 680 square miles of central and northern California, on July 3, 2008 near. The 2,000-acre wildfire threatens about 200 homes as it spreads through the chaparral-covered Santa Ynez Mountains in the Los Padres National Forest. Last week, President Bush declared a state of emergency for the entire state of California because of the hundreds of fires burning since dry lightning storms crossed the state on June 20. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

GOLETA, CALIF.: U.S. Forest Service Hot Shots set a backfire to try to contain the Gap fire, officially the top priority fire in the state, on July 6, 2008 near Goleta, California. The 6,860-acre Gap fire is spreading across the chaparral-covered Santa Ynez Mountains of the Los Padres National Forest, drawing closer to many houses that were rebuilt after the 1990 Painted Cave fire destroyed 400 homes. An estimated 4,000 people have evacuated from about 1,700 homes in the path of the fire. President Bush has declared a state of emergency for all of California in response to more than 1,400 fires that were mostly started by dry lightning storms crossing the state on June 20. More than 300 continue to burn. Making matters worse for the more than 19,000 firefighters from 42 states battling the California wildfires, drought is wicking moisture from the vegetation that leads fire experts to fear a possible repeat of the firestorms of 2003 and 2007 that destroyed thousands of homes in Southern California.