A fire that has been raging in northern California since Friday has become the largest wildfire in the US West Coast state since the start of this year’s fire season. According to the fire department, more than 30,000 hectares of the Klamath National Forest have already been destroyed. Over 2000 people were asked to get to safety. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to mobilize swift support.
Persistent drought and heat in California, as well as strong winds and thunderstorms, fueled the “McKinney Fire,” Newsom said. It destroys houses and threatens “important infrastructure”.
The California Disaster Management Agency ordered more than 2,000 Siskiyou County residents to evacuate their homes. Around 650 firefighters were mobilized on Monday, including reinforcements from the neighboring state of Oregon.
Western USA suffers enormously from wildfires
The largest fire in California to date, the “Oak Fire”, broke out near Yosemite National Park in mid-July and had also spread rapidly. Over 40 buildings were destroyed and thousands of people were forced to evacuate.
Suffering from a prolonged drought, the western United States has seen wildfires of exceptional magnitude and intensity in recent years. At the same time, the fire season is getting longer and longer, mainly due to climate change. In California, it is likely to continue for months.
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