Heatwave imminent
California: 25,000 on the run from forest fire
Thousands of people in California are once again having to flee from a forest fire. The authorities in the US state called on more than 25,000 people from the area around the small town of Oroville to evacuate on Wednesday, as reported by local radio station KCRA.
According to official figures, the "Thompson" fire has already destroyed more than 1,400 hectares of grassland and woodland since Tuesday.
Oroville is located near California's capital Sacramento and only 38 kilometers from Paradise, a small town that was almost completely destroyed in the worst fire in California's history in 2018. 85 people lost their lives back then.
A tricky time for a region plagued by fires
The region, which has been plagued by forest fires, is now at the start of another tricky period: after years of drought, two wet winters have caused vegetation to grow rapidly in the western USA.
The undergrowth in the forests is very dense, said Butte County Fire Chief Garrett Sjolund. As the greenery is now drying out quickly, the risk of forest fires is at its highest. Any fire can spread very quickly in windy conditions, warned Sjolund.
Forest fires are a natural and necessary part of the region's life cycles. However, climate change is leading to more intense and more frequent extreme weather events.
Heatwave of up to 46 degrees imminent
The next heatwave is set to hit large parts of the USA in the coming days. Temperatures of up to 46 degrees Celsius are expected in California. Firefighters fear that people will start more fires with private fireworks on Independence Day on July 4.
"We've already had four fires in the past two weeks," said Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea. "The last thing we need right now is for someone to go out with fireworks and do something stupid. Don't be a fool," he appealed to revelers.
Governor declared a state of emergency
California Governor Gavin Newsom has already declared a state of emergency for Butte County. According to reports, around 1,400 firefighters were deployed on Wednesday to fight the flames from the air using airplanes and helicopters. Fire chief Sjolund is also expecting reinforcements from other counties.
According to reports, several people have already been injured, including firefighters. There have been no serious injuries so far. However, several buildings and vehicles have already burned down, as reported by AFP journalists.
Heat warning in 21 states
The US weather service is warning of "record-breaking and dangerous heat" for the long weekend after Independence Day in the west, south and parts of the east coast of the USA. Heat warnings are in place for almost 150 million people in 21 states. The weather service is expecting dozens of heat records, which is a "rarity" for early July.
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