A raging California wildfire raged early Sunday morning, burning several thousand acres and forcing evacuations, as millions of Americans endure record-breaking scorching heat and is expected to intensify.
Source: AFP
More than 2,000 firefighters, supported by 17 helicopters, were deployed against the Oak fire, which broke out on Friday in California, near Yosemite National Park, the California Forest Protection Service (CAL FIRE) reported.
In just two days since it was declared, the fire has already destroyed more than 5,700 hectares. The authorities assured that the fire is progressing completely out of control because the heat and low humidity “difficult” the extinction work.
“The extreme consequences of the drought have led to a critical level of combustibility,” according to the CAL FIRE report.
Deemed “explosive” by authorities, the fire leaves destroyed homes and vehicles in its wake, as emergency personnel work to evacuate residents and protect buildings threatened by advancing flames.
Already 10 properties have been destroyed, five damaged and thousands are in danger.
More than 6,000 people have been evacuated, said CAL FIRE official Hector Vasquez.
“Personnel from various departments across the state are arriving to help control this fire,” Vasquez told AFP, calling the situation “really complex.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Mariposa County on Saturday due to “conditions extremely hazardous to the safety of persons and property.”
GORE ATTACKS “INACTION”
Evidence of global warming could be seen in other parts of the country, as 85 million Americans in more than a dozen states received an extreme heat alert over the weekend.
The crisis prompted former Vice President Al Gore, a tireless campaigner against climate change, to issue stern warnings on Sunday about “inaction” by US lawmakers.
Gore was adamant when asked if, as promised, President Joe Biden should declare a climate emergency.
“Mother Nature has already declared a global emergency,” he said on ABC News. And “quickly it’s going to be a lot worse,” she warned in another NBC interview.
Gore also said recent crises, including deadly heat waves in Europe, should draw the attention of members of Congress, who have so far refused to take action on climate change.
“I think these extreme events, which are getting worse and more serious, are starting to change opinion,” he said.
“SCORCHING HEAT”
The central and northeastern United States are the regions most affected by extreme temperatures.
“Scorching heat will continue across the mid-Atlantic and northeast tonight before a depression over Canada descends on the region tomorrow to moderate temperatures somewhat,” the National Weather Service said Sunday.
But temperature drops are not expected in all regions. Temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit may be recorded in the coming days in parts of eastern Kansas and Oklahoma, southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.
Not even the usually cooler Pacific Northwest will escape the heat, as temperatures are forecast to “climb steadily over the next few days, leading to possible new records,” the weather service added.
Numerous cities have been forced to open refrigeration stations and increase protection for at-risk communities, such as the homeless and those without access to air conditioning.
A heat emergency is in effect for cities in the Northeast, including Boston, Philadelphia and Washington.
Several regions of the planet have been hit by extreme heat waves in recent months, such as Western Europe in July and India in March-April, which, according to scientists, is an unequivocal sign of a warming climate.
