CONCORD, CA (July 31, 2018) – As of this morning, none of the 16 fires burning in California are directly impacting Covenant churches in the state, said Paul Wilson, superintendent of the Pacific Southwest Conference.
Wilson urged Covenanters to pray for the people in the affected areas.
Last October, Covenanters in northern and southern California were among the thousands of people who lost their homes to a series of record-setting fires. Twenty-six members of Redwood Covenant Church (now Bayside Santa Rosa) lost their homes to the Tubbs fire, which became the most destructive in the state’s history.
According to the Los Angeles Times, “The (current) destruction adds to California’s worst wildfire year on record—dozens dead since October, with more than 10,000 structures lost from San Diego to Redding.”
Experts say one of the prime factors has been the above-average temperatures, including the hottest ever month of July. Temperatures had reached 113 degrees last Thursday when the Carr Fire erupted. It destroyed hundreds of structures and killed six people within hours.
State officials called the high number of fires “the new normal.”
