The stories you want. The opinions that matter.
No, thanks
Tag: forest
Wildfire ‘Larger Than Las Vegas’ Rages In California

Wildfire ‘Larger Than Las Vegas’ Rages In California

Los Angeles (AFP) — California firefighters were battling a wildfire that is larger than Las Vegas, with the U.S. state officially facing one of its worst years for the blazes in recent memory.

Nearly 7,500 firefighters are struggling with the so-called King Fire east of Sacramento, which has forced almost 3,000 people to evacuate.

The wildfire is only 35 percent contained and is threatening thousands of buildings and homes.

California is currently in the third year of its worst drought in decades, with flames fanned by high winds in tinder-dry forests. Some 95 percent of the fires are found to be caused by humans, whether by accident or design.

Five major blazes are currently raging across California, including the King Fire, which was started on September 13, allegedly by an arsonist, in El Dorado County, and has so far burned 362 square kilometers (140 square miles) — an area bigger than Las Vegas.

The U.S. state recorded 4,974 wildfires between January 1 and September 20, according to a spokeswoman for CalFire.

That compares to an average of 3,951 fires in the same period over the last five years, said spokeswoman Alyssa Smith.

AFP Photo/Jorge Cruz

Interested in more national and environmental news? Sign up for our daily email newsletter!

California Wildfires Burn Homes, Force Residents To Flee

California Wildfires Burn Homes, Force Residents To Flee

Los Angeles (AFP) — Raging wildfires damaged or destroyed over 100 buildings in California and forced hundreds to evacuate in the drought-stricken U.S. state, officials said.

The Boles Fire, one of up to a dozen blazes gripping the state amid a heatwave, erupted near the town of Weed, some 280 miles north of San Francisco near the Oregon border.

By Monday evening it was 15 percent contained and had damaged or destroyed over 100 buildings, and forced the evacuation of three nearby communities, according to CalFire’s website.

Winds gusting up to 40 mph helped fan the flames.

“The fire was able to rage right into the community before we were able to get fire equipment into the scene,” California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant told the Los Angeles Times.

“The fire was starting ahead of itself; the embers thrown ahead touched the brush and structures,” he added of the blaze, which covered some 350 acres.

Meanwhile, another wildfire some 140 miles northeast of San Francisco more than doubled in size, to 8,600 acres, forcing the evacuation of some 130 homes, firefighter said.

By Monday evening the King Fire was threatening some 500 homes, according to the Sacramento Bee newspaper.

On Sunday some 1,000 people were evacuated near Yosemite National Park in central California. The blaze that began near Bass Lake burned 330 acres (133 hectares) in a matter of hours.

Temperatures in central California rose to nearly 104 degree Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) over the weekend, part of a heatwave expected to last through the common days.

California often faces powerful fires in the summer and fall, and the extreme drought of recent months increases the risks for more blazes this year.

AFP Photo/Mike Mcmillan

Interested in more environmental and national news? Sign up for our daily email newsletter!