TE24 International Desk:
A wildfire in California on Saturday tore through tens of thousands of acres of land that had burned the previous day, as millions of Americans sweltered in heat already scorching record highs.
A multi-region heat wave has increased the risk of fires, such as the Great Oak fire that broke out near California’s Yosemite National Park on Friday. Over the past few days, flames have threatened a giant sequoia tree. An “explosive” is called a fire, according to
The spread, officials said, went from about 600 acres to about 11,900 acres (4,800 hectares) in 24 hours. Focusing on Mariposa County, it has already destroyed 10 properties, damaged 5 other properties and threatened thousands more.
Hector Vasquez, an employee of the California Forestry Department, said more than 6,000 people had been evacuated Saturday night as the fire got out of control.
The department said the fire activity was “extreme”.
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a “state of emergency” in Mariposa County on Saturday, citing “extreme danger to the safety of persons and property.”
The fire left ash, charred vehicles and mangled remains of property as emergency crews worked to evacuate residents and protect structures in its path.
More than 500 firefighters are working to put out the blaze and are being assisted by aircraft, Vasquez said. Officials quoted by the Los Angeles Times said it could take a week to contain.
“Employees from different departments across the state are present to help control this fire,” Vasquez told AFP, adding that the situation remained “really challenging”.
Climate scientist Daniel Swain tweeted that the fire was “exhibiting journalistically extreme behaviour”, while shocked social media users posted pictures of smoke billowing thousands of feet into the air.
In recent years, California and other parts of the western United States have been ravaged by large and fast-moving wildfires driven by years of drought and a warming climate. Drought and high temperatures “didn’t favor us,” Basquez said.
Record breaking heat-
More than a dozen states are under heat warnings, so evidence of global warming has been found elsewhere in the country.
Extreme temperatures are expected to hit the central and northeastern U.S., not expected to peak until early Sunday, and public health officials are baffled.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said Saturday night, “It will feel very oppressive east of the Southern Plains, and a potentially violent storm warning is also in place. Metropolitan areas of the central United States, such as Dallas and Oklahoma City, are expected to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) for at least the next five days. degrees Celsius) was expected to experience the temperature.
A fever emergency has spread to cities along the Northeast coast, from Boston to Philadelphia to Washington.
The region is expected to experience several days in the 90s next week, so the normally cool Pacific Northwest may not escape the widespread heat either.
Higher temperatures have already increased the demand for heat-related illnesses. The city has been forced to open cooling stations to reach out to vulnerable communities such as the homeless and air-conditioned communities.
“It’s one of the things we’re aware of in Oklahoma. Heat is the biggest weather-related killer in the United States. It’s more than any other natural cause of death,” said Tulsa Regional Emergencies. Situation Management Agency Director Joseph Klaricek.
Residents of central US cities expected temperatures of 39 °C (103 °F) on Saturday and 41 °C (106 °F) on Sunday and Monday. Temperatures in the capital, Washington, were expected to reach near 100F (38C) on Saturday and reach or exceed that level for the first time in years on Sunday.
New York wasn’t too late.
“Look for daily highs to lower the century mark in the Central Plains and show record highs northeast of the Central Plains today,” the NWS said in its forecast.
“It will be hotter in the northeast on Sunday,” he added. Heavy thunderstorms are expected in the Midwest on Saturday, which could bring wind, hail and tornado damage, according to the NWS.
Western Europe in July, India in March-April, and many other parts of the world have been hit by extreme heatwaves in recent months.
