A massive wildfire raged in Northern California on Wednesday, prompting thousands of residents to evacuate the area as an “unusually dangerous” heat wave hits the region.
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Already more than 1,400 hectares of grassland and forest have been consumed since Tuesday near Oroville, where authorities have asked some 13,000 people to leave the area.
This blaze is striking just a few dozen kilometers from Paradise, a town hit in 2018 by the deadliest fire in the history of this American state with 85 deaths.
AFP
The approximately 400 firefighters battling the blaze, aided by planes and helicopters, are facing very difficult conditions, warned local fire chief Garrett Sjolund. “The brush is dry, and as you can see, any gust of wind is going to push the fire forward very quickly,” he warned.
Despite enjoying very wet winters over the past two years, the American West has been marked by a drought for about 20 years. The summer of 2024 is expected to be very hot and dry, and the recent excess precipitation has favored vegetation, which, once dried out, turns into fuel for the flames.
AFP
Added to this context is a very special week in the United States, that of the national holiday of July 4, traditionally celebrated by Americans with their own fireworks – a nightmare for firefighters.
With four fires already burning in Butte County, “it’s a bad season for fires,” said Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea. “The last thing you want is for someone who bought fireworks down the street to go do something stupid. Don’t be stupid,” he said.
All this as a heatwave hits the region, with temperatures expected to reach 46°C in the coming days. “We are in an exceptionally dangerous situation with the onset of a potentially prolonged, historic and deadly heatwave,” the US National Weather Service (NWS) wrote.
AFP
