Massive wildfires ravage California, prompting state of emergency

Addis Ababa, July 27, 2024 (FBC) – Two massive wildfires in California have forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes, prompting the California governor to declare a state of emergency on Friday in three counties.

A rapidly spreading blaze in Northern California, known as the Park Fire, has engulfed 239,152 acres (967.81 square km) of land as of Friday evening, making it the state’s largest fire this year.

The fire, which began on Wednesday afternoon near Chico, has injured two people, destroyed an estimated 134 structures, and threatened 4,200 more, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

On Friday morning, the fire was 3 percent contained, but its aggressive expansion reduced containment to 0 percent as of 9 p.m.

“The Park Fire continued to burn aggressively due to steep terrain and winds. New evacuation orders and warnings were issued,” said Cal Fire in its latest update.

The fire’s rapid expansion necessitated widespread evacuations across Butte and Tehama counties, with approximately 4,000 residents ordered to leave their homes.

Authorities arrested a 42-year-old Chico resident named Ronnie Dean Stout II on suspicion of intentionally starting the fire. The motive remains unclear.

More than 2,400 personnel from across the state have been mobilized to combat the flames, supported by an array of equipment, including 231 engines, 16 helicopters, and 116 bulldozers.

Meanwhile, firefighters are grappling with the Gold Complex Fire in Plumas County, California. The blaze was a result of the merging of four separate lightning-sparked fires on Monday in the Plumas National Forest.

The fire torched more than 3,000 acres (around 12 square km) of land, prompting evacuation orders for thousands and threatening homes, structures, critical infrastructure, and transmission lines.

The Mill Fire, part of the Gold Complex, has been 20 percent contained, while the Smith Fire, also part of the complex, has been fully contained as of Friday evening, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

In response to these two fires, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the affected counties on Friday to facilitate local governments’ access to much-needed relief and resources.

“We are using every available tool to protect lives and property as our fire and emergency response teams work around the clock to combat these challenging fires,” Newsom said in a statement, urging residents to remain vigilant and follow instructions from local authorities.

The governor also announced that California had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to bolster efforts in combating the Park Fire.

While California grapples with these blazes, the neighboring state of Oregon faces its own wildfire crisis. The Durkee Fire, currently the largest active wildfire in the United States, continued to expand in eastern Oregon.

The lightning-sparked fire has scorched more than 288,690 acres (around 1,168 square km) of land as of Friday evening, according to the State of Oregon Fires and Hotspots Dashboard.

The Durkee Fire has caused three injuries and destroyed two residences and 13 other structures. Across the state, at least 124 active fires are burning, with more than 1 million acres (around 4,047 square km) of land burned.

Climate scientists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires, particularly those sparked by lightning, to climate change. The region has experienced record-breaking heat and persistent dry weather, creating an environment ripe for rapid fire spread. CGTN