Multiple wildfires are raging across California, with the Thompson Fire in Northern California being the most severe. The fire, which started on Tuesday near Oroville, has rapidly expanded to over 5.5 square miles and remains 0% contained. As of the latest reports, at least 28,000 people have been forced to evacuate, with thousands of structures under threat.Firefighters are battling challenging conditions, including temperatures reaching 109 degrees Fahrenheit (42.8°C), low humidity, and strong winds. Over 1,400 personnel have been dispatched to fight the blaze, supported by firefighting planes, helicopters, and nearly 200 fire engines.”We are in an exceptionally dangerous situation with the start of a potentially prolonged, historic, and deadly heatwave,” warned the US National Weather Service. The fire has already destroyed at least four homes, and the cause remains under investigation.Despite the danger, some residents have chosen to stay behind to defend their properties. Brian Wong, a restaurant owner, cited his experience with the 2018 Camp fire as his reason for staying, highlighting the lack of support for those who lost their homes in previous disasters.In Southern California, new fires have broken out amid the extreme heat. In Simi Valley, the Sharp Fire has scorched 75 acres, threatening nearby homes and a hospital. Approximately 200 firefighters are battling this blaze, with one firefighter hospitalized due to a heat-related injury.With the Fourth of July holiday approaching, authorities are taking a zero-tolerance approach to illegal fireworks. Cal Fire State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant warned, “Fireworks, whether illegal or ‘safe and sane’, can create catastrophic fires”. Law enforcement has seized over 240,000 pounds of illegal fireworks in the past year.The state has declared a state of emergency and activated the State Operations Center to coordinate the response to the fires and heatwave. Climate scientists attribute the dry conditions to human-caused global warming and a decades-long aridification of the western US, making California increasingly vulnerable to devastating wildfires.
Key points
- The Thompson Fire in Northern California has forced the evacuation of at least 28,000 people.
- Multiple wildfires are burning across California amid extreme heat conditions.
- Authorities are warning against the use of fireworks due to the extreme fire danger.
- Climate change is contributing to more severe and frequent wildfires in California.
Contradictions👾There are slight discrepancies in the reported size of the Thompson Fire, with estimates ranging from 4.
7 to 5.
5 square miles.
👾The number of evacuees varies across reports, with figures ranging from 13,000 to 28,000.
