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Helicopter Fights CZU Lightning Complex Fires in California as National Guard Arrives

The CZU Lightning Complex, a group of wildfires burning in California’s San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, had burnt more than 84,000 acres and was 35 percent contained by August 30, officials said.

Some of the 45,000 residents evacuated as a result of the fires had started to return to their homes, Cal Fire said, though they warned that continued “very warm and dry conditions” would present additional challenges for firefighting efforts.

According to the Cal Fire CZU San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit, 300 members of the California National Guard arrived in the area on August 30 to assist with firefighting efforts.

This video shows a helicopter collecting and dropping water on the fire. Credit: CAL FIRE CZU San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit via Storyful