Some 600 firefighters find themselves battling a fire that has already consumed more than 27,000 acres.

The fire began at approximately 6 pm on October 21. Police authorities suspect the fire was caused by an arsonist, or a group of arsonists, and have offered $285,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the alleged perpetrators. Arson is suspected because the fire apparently began in three separate places.

According to most sources, the most important factors behind the wild fires that have ravaged southern California are the drought, the hot weather and the Santa Ana winds blowing from the deserts at 85 miles per hour. It has also been acknowledged that one fire was the result of a semi-truck that had overturned and burst into flames.

It is now widely acknowledged in the press, including the Los Angeles Times, that California’s sixth richest county, Orange County, with a population of over 3 million, had already lost its battle with the Santiago fire the minute it began. Despite tamer Santa Ana winds, more than 3,000 homes remain threatened.

The county lost the battle not primarily because of the ferocity of the fire or human failure in the face of overwhelming odds, but because of the county’s own lack of preparation and cutbacks.

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