Searing winds hit Santa Barbara, California, destroying birds, small animals, and all foliage in the town

In the early afternoon of Friday, June 17, 1859, a searing wind struck Santa Barbara and continued for hours, forcing every resident to shelter indoors. Outside, smaller animals such as calves, rabbits, and dogs were killed, along with hundreds of birds.  According to press reports, almost all foliage in the town was completely destroyed, fruit roasted on the trees, and exposed metal was hot to the touch for hours afterwards.  The incident seemed to touch off  an oppressive two weeks of remarkably high temperatures across central Califonia. (By John Osborne)
Source Citation
Santa Barbara (CA) Gazette, June 18, 1859, reported in the New York Times, July 29, 1859, p. 1.
    Date Certainty
    Exact
    Type
    Crime/Disasters
    How to Cite This Page: "Searing winds hit Santa Barbara, California, destroying birds, small animals, and all foliage in the town," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College, https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/index.php/node/24283.