Monstrous fires have raged Southern California leaving many residents of Santa Barbara and Ventura County to deal with a historic aftermath. “The fires have forced 190,000 people out of their homes, some with nothing but their pets and a few mementos,” according to a source. The Thomas Fire, in a coastal region northwest of Los Angeles, remained the largest active wildfire in the state, having burned through nearly 170,000 acres and taking with it more than 500 buildings and at least one life. Basically, residents of SoCal are in the midst of a waiting game to see where the destructive fires will go. The National Weather Service warned residents at a town hall meeting that the conditions are still combustible and even though the winds that have been stroking the fire were expected to ease up, the air will remain very warm and dry. With the drastic climate change, some scientists are saying that Southern California is literally burning up. Thankfully, everyone is looking to help anyway they can. Nearly 1,000 fire departments across California are involved in all efforts to contain the fires, FEMA and Homeland Security are coordinating relief efforts in the affected areas and there are numerous organizations that the general public can sign up for to lend a helping hand. As firefighters work tirelessly and California communities are rampaged, we can only hope that the West Coast finds relief soon.