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The lightning and thunderstorms that began on Sunday, combined with extremely high temperatures and dangerous air quality have exacerbated the ferocity of the blazes and speed with which they are spreading. That has prompted the evacuations of thousands of people as crews attempt to prevent the fires from ravaging entire neighborhoods.
"Over the last 72 hours the state has been besieged by a historic lightning siege that has resulted in approximately 10,849 lightning strikes across the state, causing more than 367 new fires," Cal Fire's Public Information Officer for the LNU Lightning Complex fire Jeremy Rahn, said in a Wednesday press conference.