There has been progress in fighting fires in California, but the risk of fire is expanding
This Friday, firefighters made progress in fighting fires in the State of California. Meteorologists, however, warn that heat and the risk of fire are expanding on the West Coast. The National Weather Service, specifically, announced that the heatwave in California will continue and spread to the Pacific Northwest and adjacent western states.
The containment of the so-called Thompson Fire, near the city of Oroville, in the northern region of this North American state, made it possible to reduce its area to less than 15.5 square kilometers (km2). Remember that this fire, which broke out last Tuesday, worsened on Thursday night, quickly spreading over more than 1,416 hectares near Oroville, destroying 25 structures and injuring two firefighters – which forced the evacuation of at least 17 thousand people, according to the Lusa agency, and led the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, to declare a state of emergency.
By Friday morning the fire was 46% contained and most evacuation orders had been lifted. The causes of the fire are still under investigation.
While in northern California the fire began to come under control, on Thursday a new fire broke out in Mariposa County, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, along a highway that leads to Yosemite National Park. The fire arose following a heat wave that brought days of very high temperatures, reports “The New York Times†. However, on Friday afternoon some of the 1,100 residents who had been forced to evacuate were allowed to return home.
The fires come at a time when California is on red alert for fire risk, in a context of high winds and temperatures – which has even led some cities to cancel the fireworks planned for the celebrations. ions of United States Independence Day, on July 4th. This Friday, and according to “The New York Times†, most active fires were at least 50% controlled.
