Thousands of people in California have to flee from forest fire
In California, thousands of people have to flee from a forest fire again. The authorities of the US state of California called more than 25,000 people from the surroundings of the small town Oroville to evacuate on a Wednesday, as local broadcaster KCRA reported. The "Thompson" fire has destroyed more than 1400 hectares of grassland and forestland since Tuesday, according to official reports.
Oroville is located near California's capital Sacramento and only 38 kilometers from Paradise, a small town that was almost completely destroyed by the worst fire in California's history in 2018. 85 people died in the incident.
The region plagued by forest fires is now at the beginning of a critical period again: In the western US, two wet winters have caused rapid vegetation growth after years of drought. The underbrush in the forests is very dense, said the fire department chief in Butte County, Garrett Sjolund. With the grass now drying out quickly, the highest forest fire danger exists. A fire can spread very quickly with wind, warned Sjolund.
Forest fires are a natural and necessary part of the life cycles in the region. Climate change, however, leads to more intense and frequent extreme weather conditions.
In the coming days, a heatwave is expected in wide parts of the USA. Temperatures of up to 46 degrees Celsius are expected in California. The fire department fears that people will start new fires with private fireworks on Independence Day on July 4. "We had four fires in the last two weeks," said the sheriff of Butte County, Kory Honea. "The last thing we need now is someone playing with fireworks and doing something stupid. Don't be a moron," he appealed to the celebrators.
People in the proximity of Sacramento, including Oroville and Paradise, are once again at risk due to the forest fires in California. Thousands of individuals had to evacuate from Oroville, a town near Sacramento, due to the Thompson fire, which has consumed over 1400 hectares of forestland since Tuesday. The dense vegetation resulting from two wet winters in the western US, according to the fire department chief Garrett Sjolund, increases the forest fire danger.
