July 7, 2008 California enters week 3 of wildfires Play video

(NECN/ABC) - Exhausted crews are entering week number three on the fire lines in California.

And this week's forecast of hot, dry conditions is not promising.

So far, wildfires have destroyed at least 69 homes and more than 800 square miles of land.

Script: Nearly 7,000 acres are on fire.

Mark Savage stated, "A fire this size without all of the other fires going on in the state we would certainly have more resources."

Miles of coastline are closed along the pacific coast, near Big Sur. Not only preventing tourists from coming, but now many of the residents are
going.

Shelly Goldman a homeowner stated, "Yeah everything's going, just take the toiletry kit out of the house and ready to go again."

Simply put, last month the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that California could expect more droughts, more heat and more
fires as a result of global warming. Researchers say the average annual temperature in downtown Los Angeles has increased five degrees since 1920.

Berrien Moore Executive Director of Climate Central said, "California is getting drier and California is getting warmer. and there are more people there, and big urban heat islands have increased but the basic reason is that California's getting drier and warmer."

In Goleta, the fire is only 30 percent contained.

Rick Trembath, the Fire Safety Officer stated, "Were trying to take the fire and blacken it to the pavement

While cooler days prevailed over the weekend, along with the raging wildfires, crews are expecting to battle more heat, which is in the forecast starting today.

ABC reporter Linsey Davis has more on the story.