The 2016 wildfire season in California is an extremely active one, with new fires igniting almost daily. Two of California's most problematic fires as of mid-August include the Rey Fire and the Cedar Fire. The Cedar Fire, which sparked on Tuesday Aug. 16, has grown to 20,000 acres, while the Rey Fire, ignited on Thursday Aug. 18 has burned through over 23,500 acres of land.

Containment efforts with these two fires are coming along slowly, with thousands of residents in the communities being affected by mandatory, precautionary, and suggested evacuation orders as well as mandatory road closures.

The Cedar Fire is currently affecting communities in both Kern and Tulare counties, and the Sequoia National Forest has issued a closure order for lands, roads, and trails near the blaze. As of the most recent update from InciWeb, the current fire behavior is described as moderately active, fueling on dry timber and brush in the local area.

The size of the fire was most recently measured at 19,629 acres and was at approximately five percent containment. Fire officials estimate a final containment date on or near Sept. 15, 2016.

Officials report that abundant smoke is being generated by this blaze, due to extremely dry vegetation that is fueling it. Most of the smoke produced during Sunday's firefighting effort, which came from the northeast side of the blaze (where it crossed Spear Creek) is now burning toward Sugarloaf Creek.

In Kern County, several areas within Wofford Heights are under a recommended evacuation status, meaning that the fire is an "imminent threat" and residents are being strongly advised to leave their homes and seek shelter in safer areas, further from the blaze. These communities include: Pala Ranches; Homestead Tract; residences north of Anchorage Road, including Earl Pascoe Road; Alta Sierra; Slick Rock; and Shirley Meadows.

The area east of Highway 155 and north of Wofford Boulevard is now under a precautionary evacuation order, meaning that the fire may become a threat in the near future and residents are advised to be prepared to evacuate at any time.

In terms of Kern County road closures, they include: Highway 155 at the eastern junction of Pascoe Road on the west side, to Calgary Drive in Wofford Heights on the east; Forest Highway 90 from Highway 155 to Portuguese Pass; and Old State Road in Wofford Heights at its junction with Mountain Shadow Road.

In Tulare County, there are a number of communities currently under mandatory evacuation orders. These include: Posey; Pine Flat; Pine Mountain; Sugarloaf, including Sugarloaf Mountain Park and Sugarloaf Village; California Hot Springs; Panorama Heights; McClenny Tract; Spear Creek Mountain Homes; White River Summer Homes; Portuguese Meadow; Balance Rock; Idlewild; and Poso Park.

For residents affected by evacuation orders from the Cedar Fire, two temporary shelters have been set up. The first is in Lake Isabella at the First Baptist Church, located at 3701 Suhre Street. A second shelter has been organized in Porterville at the Granite Hills High School, located at 1701 E. Putnam Avenue.

For assistance in sheltering pets and/or livestock, residents are urged to contact Kern County Animal Services or Terry Way's Ranch & Equine Rescue at 416 N. Anderson Way in Exeter.

In terms of firefighting efforts, 1,197 firefighters have been assigned to help contain this blaze. Among the resources being utilized in the firefight are 171 fire engines, 28 hand crews, 15 aircraft, 18 dozers, and 25 water tenders. The cost to date in battling this fire, whose cause is currently under official investigation, has reached $11.1 million.

The Rey Fire, according to InciWeb's most recent update, has been displaying extreme fire activity in recent days due to extremely dry vegetation burning where no other fire has ever reportedly burned before. Santa Barbara County Officials maintain, however, that the fire has slowed in its advance as of Monday Aug. 22.

The total current burn area is now at 23,546 acres and containment has increased to 20 percent. The number of firefighting personnel currently on scene at the Rey Fire is approximately 1,260. The cause of this blaze is still under official investigation.

Sunday's firing operation in the southwest portion of the blaze was successful, allowing for containment near Horse Canyon. Fire authorities report that the blaze spread yesterday primarily to the east, toward Little Pine Mountain, and to the northeast toward Alexander Peak.

However, the Santa Ynez Watershed, a critical water source for the area, continues to remain under threat from the blaze. The Santa Ynez Creek and Lake Cachuma reportedly provide 80 percent of the water supply to the entire Santa Barbara area.

On the upside, fire officials say that despite "dramatic plumes of smoke" being seen along coastal areas, the Rey Fire moved closer toward deep wilderness areas over the weekend, straying away from communities populated with homes, residents, and other structures. Heavy smoke and plumes from the fire are anticipated to remain around the affected areas for the next several days, though.

There are not currently any residential evacuation mandates in place due to the Rey Fire, however there have been some changes in terms of road closures near the wildfire. State Highway 154 is now open in both directions between Santa Ynez and Santa Barbara, but Paradise Road remains closed for the foreseeable future.

Please check back in with us at LatinPost.com for further news and updates on these and other wildfires plaguing California during this 2016 season.