Firefighters are working hard to stop a series of big fires in Los Angeles. These fires have killed seven people, destroyed communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena, and made over 180,000 people flee their homes to safer places.

It is estimated that losses from the fires could top $10 billion. Thousands of homes, businesses and other structures have burned. Several landmarks have also been destroyed while others, including the Capitol Records building, the TCL Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Hollywood Bowl, fall under evacuation (疏散) orders. The Hollywood sign is also near the evacuation area, as is the Griffith Observatory-made famous in the 1955 film Rebel Without A Cause.

Wildfire season in the US usually starts around May. But why is this happening in January? The big fires in LA now are mainly because of Santa Ana winds. These are very dry and strong winds that often happen in colder winter months. The winds can go up to 100mph, spreading the fire fast. With little moisture in the air and dry vegetation (植被), the ground is much more flammable. Climate scientist Daniel Swain from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) says that these winds will “dry things out even further”. The longer these extreme winds last, the drier the vegetation will become, he said.

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1. 1. What does the underlined word “flee” mean?（词义猜测）

A    Stay.

B    Burn.

C    Sell.

D    Leave.