California wildfire crisis: Evacuations and state of emergency declared
4 July 2024 12:26
The situation in California is serious. Firefighters are battling forest fires. Thousands of people have been evacuated, and warnings about the heat have been issued to millions.
The most dangerous fire broke out in Oroville, destroying several buildings. Thousands of people were evacuated, and Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the threatened area.
Fires in California
We are using every available tool to tackle this fire and will continue to work closely with our local and federal partners to support impacted communities, stated Newsom.
The "Los Angeles Times" reported that on Wednesday, 3 July, the Thompson fire was also being fought with the help of aircraft. Firefighters were battling the Thompson fire in temperatures around 109°F, and wind gusts up to about 30 mph. Such conditions do not favour firefighting; on the contrary.
Difficult situation
On Wednesday morning, the fire had spread to about 3,000 acres. As highlighted by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, it was threatening about 230 structures at that time.
Four firefighters were injured during the operation. The evacuation order affected thousands of people around the city and Butte County, and Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s power outages affected two thousand customers.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), record and dangerous temperatures affect California, the southern plains, and the mid-Atlantic region. 110 million people in 21 states have been given alerts or warnings about the heat.
