Huge wildfires in California, thousands evacuated

The American West has been marked by drought for nearly 20 years, although it has benefited from very wet winters in the past two years. Summer 2024 promises to be very hot and dry.

A massive fire broke out in Northern California this Wednesday, July 3, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate as an “exceptionally dangerous” heat wave hit the region.

Already, more than 1,400 hectares of grassland and forest have been consumed since Tuesday near Oroville, where authorities have asked about 13,000 people to leave the area.

The fire occurred just a few dozen kilometers from Paradise, the city hit by the deadliest fire in the US state's history in 2018 with 85 deaths.

Local fire chief Garrett Sjoland warned that around 400 firefighters fighting the blaze with the help of planes and helicopters were facing extremely difficult conditions. “The bushes are dry, as you can see, any wind will push the fire out very quickly,” he warned.

“We are in a very dangerous position”

With four fires already burning in Butte County, “it's been a bad season for fires,” said its Sheriff Corey Honea.

The last thing we want is someone who bought firecrackers from next door doing something stupid.

A heat wave is hitting the region at this time, with temperatures reaching 46°C in the coming days. “We are in an exceptionally dangerous situation at the start of a long, historic and deadly heat wave,” the US Weather Service (NWS) wrote.