On Sunday, a huge wildfire broke out in California, which destroyed thousands of hectares of land and required evacuations, in the midst of a heat wave affecting millions of Americans, while meteorologists expect an additional rise in temperatures, which reached record levels.
More than 2,000 firefighting personnel, supported by 17 helicopters, are working to combat the “Oak Fire” fire that broke out in California near Yosemite National Park and its giant huts, according to a report by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
But two days following its outbreak, the fire destroyed more than 5,740 hectares and has not yet been even partially contained, according to the report, which indicated that the heat and low humidity “hamper” the efforts of the firefighting services.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection report noted that “extreme drought” had exacerbated the situation.
Officials described the fire as “explosive” and left ashes, car bodies and the remains of property, while personnel were working to evacuate residents and protect nearby buildings.
The fire has so far destroyed ten buildings and damaged five others. Thousands of buildings are threatened by its tongues.
More than 6,000 people have been evacuated, according to Hector Vasquez, an official with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
“There are crews coming from different departments in the state to help control the fire,” Vasquez told AFP, noting that the situation was “really difficult.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a “state of emergency” in Mariposa County, Saturday, due to the “extreme danger to the safety of life and property.”
In recent years, the American West has witnessed fires exceptional in terms of their size and intensity, with a very noticeable extension of the fire season, phenomena that scientists attribute to climate change.
Gore criticizes ‘inaction’
Elsewhere in the country, signs of global warming can be seen, as at the end of the week 85 million Americans in more than a dozen states were stricken by a heat wave.
The crisis prompted former US Vice President and climate activist Al Gore to issue a stern warning Sunday, criticizing the “inaction” of US lawmakers.
When asked whether President Joe Biden should declare a state of emergency, which the latter said he would do soon, Gore said in a statement to the American network “ABC” that “nature has already declared a global emergency.”
On NBC, Gore said, “It will quickly get a lot worse.”
He considered that recent crises, including heat waves in Europe, may constitute a wake-up call for members of Congress who have so far refused to meet with efforts to combat climate change.
Gore believes that these events, “which are getting worse and worse, are really starting to change mentalities.”
The fires are one of the most tragic consequences of this weekend’s heat wave in the United States, in an area between California and Oregon in the west and extending to the center and northeast.
Temperatures in these two regions are expected to peak on Sunday.
And the National Weather Service expected “to equal or exceed record heat numbers” in the northeast, where the temperature will range between 40.5 and 43.3 degrees Celsius.
A heat emergency is in effect in cities along the northeastern coast from Boston through Philadelphia to Washington.
Even the usually cooler northwest will not be spared the heat next week.
Several cities were forced to open cooling centers and provide care for the most vulnerable, such as the homeless and those without air conditioning.
The world recorded several heat waves this year, including in July in Western Europe, and in March and April in India.
Its increase is a sign of climate change, according to scientists.
