California declares emergency as wildfire scorches county, forces evacuations

News, US July 25, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

California’s Oak Fire has scorched some 15,603 acres and forced thousands of evacuations outside Yosemite National Park. The wildfire broke out on Friday near Yosemite National Park.

Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County after the fire forced more than 6,000 people to evacuate their homes, a news release from his office said.

By Sunday evening, the fire had consumed 15,603 acres (6,314 hectares), and was zero percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

More than 2,000 firefighters and 17 helicopters have been assigned against the Oak Fire, Cal Fire said. Firefighters deployed air tankers, bulldozers and ground crews to battle the fast-moving wildfire just west of Yosemite National Park.

“The fire quickly outflanked us. We couldn’t even attack it with the resources that we had on hand,” Justin Macomb, a Cal Fire operations section chief, told the public meeting. “In my career, I haven’t seen fire behavior like that,” he said.

The Oak Fire has abruptly grown into one of California’s biggest blazes of the year fueled by dry weather and drought conditions that have gripped the country. The firefighters are facing tough conditions that included hot weather, low humidity and bone-dry vegetation caused by the worst drought in decades, said Daniel Patterson, a spokesman for the Sierra National Forest.

“Explosive fire behavior is challenging firefighters,” Cal Fire said in a statement that described the Oak Fire’s activity as “extreme with frequent runs, spot fires and group torching.” The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The fire has destroyed 10 structures, damaged five and is threatening more than 2,600 others, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Pacific Gas & Electric said on its website that more than 3,100 homes and businesses in the area had lost power and there was no mention of when it would be restored.

The Oak Fire is the largest of California’s currently active wildfires. The second-largest Washburn Fire, which was 79% contained by Friday, burned in and near southern Yosemite National Park for more than two weeks, ravaging 4,850 acres.

A wildfire near Yosemite National Park has burned more than 6,500 acres. Authorities said it was California’s fastest-growing fire of the season. https://t.co/zsfAah08YM pic.twitter.com/e6lcCAvYn4
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 23, 2022

Heat waves grip most of Europe and U.S.

Brutal and intense heat waves are gripping Europe and are also sweltering the United States and even China. This extraordinary heat is part of a global rising temperature pattern that scientists attribute to human activity. Scientists have said the weather will be more extreme and wildfires more frequent, damaging, and unpredictable in the coming years.

Last week, the UK recorded its highest temperatures reaching 40.3 Celsius (104.5 degrees Fahrenheit) during a heat wave that has scorched swaths of Europe. The hot and dry weather triggered wildfires from Portugal to Spain, killing more than 1,100 people in the two countries.