California firefighters are battling multiple wildfires amid a heatwave Friday, with a new blaze breaking out near the famed Yosemite National Park while a blaze further north was brought under control.
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Temperatures of up to 47 degrees are expected in the western US state on Friday as a heat wave hitting the region nears its peak.
“Dangerous heat is likely to spread further into the West today (Friday) and Saturday,” the National Weather Service (NWS) warned.
AFP
“Temperature records are expected to be equaled or broken,” they added.
The heat wave comes over the July 4 holiday weekend, when millions of Americans celebrate the United States Declaration of Independence by setting off fireworks that can create wildfires in dry conditions.
A wildfire broke out in the town of Mariposa, near Yosemite National Park, on Thursday night. By Friday morning the fire had burned several hundred acres and was only 5 percent contained, according to fire officials.
AFP
The cause is not yet known.
In the northern part of the state, firefighters managed to control a violent fire that had forced several thousand residents to evacuate the area. “Above average temperatures will continue into next week,” the NWS announced.
Repeated heat waves are a marker of global warming linked to climate change, scientists say.
