Amid a heat wave warning, new wildfires are sweeping the western United States, forcing hundreds of families from their homes, US authorities said Monday. Yesterday, the governor of California today declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and surrounding counties due to the fires that threaten the metropolis and have already destroyed dozens of homes.
Gavin Newsom “declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties for the Bridge Fire and Orange and Riverside counties for the Airport Fire,” according to a statement issued Wednesday , to the public.
- Near Los Angeles, the fire dubbed the “Line Fire” grew over the weekend after it broke out on Thursday. It burned more than 80,000 acres of barren countryside and is spreading into an area close to tourist spots.
Tens of thousands of homes are under threat and several roads have been closed in the face of the huge flames that are spreading through the bush-filled hills, despite the efforts of more than 1,700 firefighters.
- Another fire, the “Bridge Fire”, broke out on Sunday afternoon. By Monday morning, it had burned 12,000 acres, causing the authorities to issue evacuation orders.
The dangerous heat that is plaguing the region is making it difficult for firefighters to fight on the ground and in the air.
The mercury has topped 43 degrees in many parts of the American West in recent days. And gusts of wind accelerate the spread of fires. The heat warning remains in effect until the end of the day.
“Dangerously hot conditions are forecast for at least one more day in southern California and parts of the Southwest,” the National Weather Service (NWS) warned.
Fire danger will remain “high to critical across much of the region over the next two days,” he added, noting “the combination of above-average temperatures, dry vegetation and gusty winds.”
- In northern California, another small but near-residential fire forced 4,000 people to evacuate their homes. The “Boyles Fire”, near Clearlake, has already burned 30 buildings and destroyed 50 vehicles, according to local firefighters.
Line Fire in Southern California doubles in size, forcing thousands to evacuate as state of emergency is declared. #Highland #California #EmergencyEvacuation #SouthernCalifornia #USFire
- In neighboring Nevada, the Davis Fire destroyed 65,000 acres of vegetation near Reno. At least 12,000 residents of the southern part of this city were forced to leave their homes and a dozen buildings were damaged. Images posted on social media show dozens of wild horses escaping the flames.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1833077134128291862
The fire forced Democrat Tim Walsh, Kamala Harris’ White House deputy, to cancel a meeting he had planned for Monday night in Reno.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the firefighters who are fighting so hard to save human lives, property and the fauna of these areas.
