Nearly 30,000 Forced to Evacuate as Wildfires Rage Across California

Photo : AP

Tens of thousands of residents in Northern California have been ordered to evacuate as wildfires continue to spread across the state amid an intense heatwave. As of Thursday, approximately 28,000 people were under evacuation warnings or orders due to the Thompson Fire, which erupted two days earlier, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).

The heatwave has brought dangerously high temperatures, with forecasts predicting temperatures of up to 118°F (47°C) in some areas, expected to persist until early next week. Fortunately, no fatalities have been reported, but the fire season has already caused significant damage, with 74 structures either destroyed or damaged.

In response to the escalating fire risk, the city of Oroville, near the origin of the Thompson Fire, canceled its 4th of July Independence Day fireworks celebration. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea emphasized the potential danger posed by fireworks during such dry conditions, urging residents to exercise caution and avoid activities that could ignite new fires. “The last thing we need is somebody who’s purchased fireworks from a local fire stand going out and doing something stupid,” he said. “Don’t be an idiot, cause a fire and create more problems for us.”

Sheriff Honea noted that the region had experienced four fires in recent weeks and warned that the threat was far from over. “This is a bad fire season," he stated. As of Thursday evening, the Thompson Fire was 7% contained, showing some progress thanks to the efforts of nearly 2,000 firefighters. However, the heat remains a significant challenge, with temperatures predicted to reach 110°F (43°C) on Thursday.

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At least four people have been injured in the fires, although the extent of their injuries is not yet known. The fire season, which recently started in California, typically runs until October. In recent years, the size and intensity of wildfires in the state have increased dramatically. Scientists attribute this trend to human-caused climate change, noting that the amount of burned areas in Northern and Central California during the summer has quintupled from 1996 to 2021 compared to the previous 24 years.

The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat and red flag warnings across the state, indicating hot, dry, and windy conditions that significantly increase the risk of wildfires. The agency warned that these “dangerous” temperatures pose a major to extreme risk of heat stress or illnesses.

Since the last week of June, around two dozen fires have burned more than 10 acres each across California. The largest of these, spanning nearly 14,000 acres, occurred in Fresno County. In response to the crisis, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Butte County to mobilize additional resources.

The Thompson Fire ignited in Oroville, about 70 miles north of the state capital Sacramento, on Tuesday. The city is approximately 20 miles from Paradise, which was devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire that claimed 85 lives. The region has continued to face wildfires in subsequent years.

CalFire spokesman Robert Foxworthy informed the BBC that the fire’s growth had slowed due to lighter wind speeds, but the extreme heat remains the primary challenge for firefighters. Two days after the fire broke out, many residents were still unable to return to their homes.

Brittanie Hardie, a recent California transplant from Louisiana, shared her experience with the San Francisco Chronicle, recounting how she had only the clothes on her back when her girlfriend evacuated their apartment. "I knew wildfires were bad in California, but I didn't know it was this bad," Hardie told the newspaper.

Oroville City Council member Shawn Webber posted a video on Facebook showing hillsides engulfed in smoke on both sides of a road, while also expressing gratitude to firefighters for their efforts in preventing further destruction.

California's state parks system acknowledged that many of the agencies responding to the fire have employees whose families have been displaced by the evacuations. These workers continue to assist the community of Lake Oroville tirelessly, despite their personal challenges.

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