California is experiencing its worst heatwave on record, and thousands of homes are at risk from raging wildfires that raged in Northern California on Tuesday.
The Thompson Fire, which broke out near Oroville, California, about an hour outside of Sacramento, quickly burned more than 3,500 acres (1,416 hectares), forcing the evacuation of approximately 28,000 residents.
Photojournalists captured tense scenes as fire raged through homes and vehicles in the rural enclave of Butte County on Tuesday night, with authorities confirming that at least four structures had been destroyed.
More than 1,400 firefighters from across the state were battling the blaze, which was 0% contained as of Wednesday afternoon. Officials confirmed eight injuries, at least half of them firefighters, and dangerously high temperatures continue to pose a threat to firefighters’ health and safety.
Cal Fire spokesman Ed Fletcher said the agency makes every effort to give firefighters rest and relaxation, but an already demanding job is made even harder under extreme conditions.
“This series of events poses a major challenge for firefighters,” he said, urging the public to take extra precautions to contain the outbreak of new blazes that could quickly stretch firefighting resources, especially with soaring temperatures.
“This is a big deal,” he said. “It’s 108 degrees outside and we’re asking people to go up on a mountain.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to ensure resources were immediately available to assist with fire response and recovery.
Governor Newsom said Tuesday that California has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to cover some of the costs associated with firefighting efforts. Earlier this week, Governor Newsom activated a State Operations Center to coordinate wildfire and heat response across the state.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The fire comes as California is on heightened wildfire alert. The Fourth of July brings a combination of hot, dry weather and explosive celebrations, with high temperatures and gusty winds exacerbating the fire risk. Nationwide, an average of more than 18,500 fires are started by Independence Day celebrations, including careless fireworks and poorly managed campfires.
Firefighters are battling more than a dozen fires that have broken out since Monday as the state prepares for an escalation in conditions. Fire activity and fire behavior this week is likely to be extreme, and new fires may be difficult to contain.
“It’s going to be a challenge day and night, so prevention is key,” said Cal Fire deputy chief Nick Schuler, who said the agency is stretched to the max in preparation for what is expected to be a very busy period this week and into the summer.
As temperatures rise, so do the risks.
From Wednesday, parts of the state will be at risk of “extreme” heat. National Weather Service Index at highest levelOfficials warned that the extreme conditions could continue into Sunday or longer, with some areas facing life-threatening triple-digit temperatures for a week or more.
Temperatures in the state capital, Sacramento, are expected to reach 105 to 115 degrees (40.5 to 46.1 Celsius), conditions that could last through Sunday.
“This will be a severe, prolonged, record-breaking heat wave that could have major impacts across many parts of California,” climate scientist Dr. Daniel Swain said during a broadcast discussion of the heat wave on Monday. With little relief expected after the sun goes down, the long duration only increases its potential impact and intensity. “It’s not going to cool down at night,” Dr. Swain said.
The heat is expected to continue through the holiday weekend and will hit inland areas like Sacramento, the San Joaquin Valley and the southern desert hardest.
The heatwaves were driven by a ridge of high pressure off the West Coast and another ridge that had prompted heat watches and advisories from Kansas and Missouri to the Gulf Coast states, according to the National Weather Service. Across the country, 129 million people were under heat warnings..
Extreme heat is the deadliest type of weather disaster, experts say, and forecasters warn that dangerous weather conditions this week will pose health risks to a wide range of people, especially those without access to air conditioning.
The Associated Press contributed. reporting
Heatwaves and wildfires in the US
