{"id":3015,"date":"2018-12-09T14:00:22","date_gmt":"2018-12-09T14:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/2018\/12\/09\/manchester-met-student-describes-apocalyptic-scenes-he-witnessed-california-wildfires\/"},"modified":"2018-12-09T14:00:22","modified_gmt":"2018-12-09T14:00:22","slug":"manchester-met-student-describes-apocalyptic-scenes-he-witnessed-california-wildfires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/manchester-met-student-describes-apocalyptic-scenes-he-witnessed-california-wildfires\/","title":{"rendered":"Manchester Met student describes ‘apocalyptic’ scenes he witnessed in the California wildfires"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Derrick Flanagin returned to his native USA to go on tour with his band the last thing he would have expected was to be caught up in the middle of a global news story. But that\u2019s exactly what happened. <\/p>\n

32-year-old Derrick, who is originally from Boston, Massachusetts, is currently studying Multimedia Journalism at Manchester Metropolitan University. Last month, while travelling between shows with his band – Wrong<\/a>, they would regularly have to make detours due to road closures and evacuations of large areas. <\/p>\n

The recent wildfires in California are the deadliest on record with 85 people confirmed to have died and over 11 unaccounted for. Having witnessed some of the dramatic scenes first hand, Derrick sat down with The Northern Quota to describe what he saw and to discuss the mood in the area in the aftermath of such a horrific disaster. <\/p>\n

\"A
Wildfire area if it were in Manchester <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of the affected areas he drove through, Derrick said: \u201cThere were just tree stumps that were smouldering. A lot of trees that were still completely standing upright but all their leaves had burned off or there was a completely burnt field and then just the black remnants of a tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

While in San Francisco, the magnitude of the disaster became more evident: \u201cSan Francisco was horrible! There was so much smoke in the air. It seemed like dense morning fog but all day. Everyone had facemasks on \u2013 it was apocalyptic-looking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Campfire
A telegraph pole held up by its wires having been engulfed by the fires – Photo: Tyler Day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tyler Day, 22, is a student from Sacramento. He told The Northern Quota: \u201cmy college cancelled classes for a week because of the smoke and saw people wearing masks.”<\/p>\n

Tyler, who\u2019s also an amateur photographer, decided to capture some of the devastation. Despite the fact that most of the affected area was still closed off to the public he witnessed mass destruction: \u201cI saw a lot of burned vehicles, a couple of boats in an RV park that was destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campfire, as it\u2019s being called due to the fire\u2019s place of origin \u2013 Camp Creek Road, has been headline news the world over. The tragic loss of life and devastation of homes, livelihoods and nature has prompted mass messages of pity and grief on social media. <\/p>\n

\"Damage
An abandonded car left to be ravraged by the flames – Photo: Tyler Day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Somewhat predictably, however, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, decided to use social media differently. He attacked those whose job it is to manage the country’s forests and claimed that the blame lies with them.<\/p>\n

\n

There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!<\/p>\n

\t\u2014 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 10, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n