[ad_1]
A wild forest fire in northern California rose dramatically on Thursday and Friday, killing at least two people fighting the fire. forcing dozens of residents to leave their homes, destroying more than a dozen buildings and threatening thousands of others.
"This fire is extremely dangerous and moving without worrying about what's going on," said fire chief Cal Brouv Gouvea. The growth of Carr Fire has been explosive. On Thursday morning, fire was burning on 20,000 acres, fire officials said. By Friday morning, it had more than doubled in size, spreading over an area the size of the District of Columbia.
Authorities reported that 65 structures had been destroyed, 55 others damaged and nearly 5,000 threatened. Cal Fire said that the fire had started Monday afternoon and that it had been caused by a "mechanical failure of the vehicle", although the agency did not specify it.
A firefighter works Thursday in Redding, California. (Daniel Kim / Sacramento Bee / AP)
"The fire became very active throughout the evening," said Cal Fire in a statement released Friday. "Firefighters continue to work aggressively to build containment lines around Carr's fire and their efforts have been hampered overnight due to extreme fire behavior and harsh wind conditions."
L & # The fire agency warned that these conditions included forecasts calling for high temperatures and continuous dry weather. The National Weather Service said on Friday that a red flag warning – which indicates an increased risk of fire – would remain in effect until midnight, with high winds and low humidity likely to occur. fuel a "dangerous and rapid spread" of the fire. Temperatures were also expected to hit the three-digit low Friday.
"A combination of high winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior," said the Meteorological Service
[] Climate Change is in the Making to overheat a hot and dangerous summer]
The fire had created an apocalyptic scene, spinning the sky in a haunting orange color streaked with plumes of smoke. Authorities said they have sent more than 1,700 firefighters, including dozens of firefighters, more than 100 fire trucks and bulldozers, helicopters and vehicles to deliver water.
At least two of these people were killed. A firefighter from the town of Redding was killed as a result of Carr's fire, California officials said in a statement on Friday. The firefighter will not be identified until the next of kin is notified, and authorities will not disclose further details.
A private bulldozer operator was killed while he was fighting the fire, but this person was not immediately identified. "The operator was working on an active section of the Carr Fire," said Gouvea, the incident commander, during a press briefing. "The community of fire is extremely sorry for this loss."
Gouvea also stated that there were firefighters and additional civilians injured, although he did not provide more details about these people or their conditions. Marin County reported that three of its firefighters working on defensive structures were burned to their ears, face and hands by a sudden heat explosion. All three were released from the hospital, and one of them should receive an additional assessment.
Last year, the Thomas Fire – which became the largest in the history of California – burned more than 280,000 acres. A firefighter was killed, Cory Iverson, 32, with Cal Fire, who left behind a pregnant woman and a 2-year-old girl
hours south of the Oregon border. In Redding, where some 91,000 people live, authorities have ordered some residents to evacuate and warn others to remain vigilant, saying "the situation could change quickly and unexpectedly."
Authorities urged other residents of surrounding areas to evacuate and said that other evacuation orders could follow. made a significant push into the northwestern part of Redding, "said Gouvea." We ask everyone to consider evacuation orders and leave quickly. "
Sharon Stapleton, Shasta, in California, says that she and her husband were awakened when law enforcement officers came to tell them to evacuate.
"She did not think about it", a- she told the Redding Record Searchlight newspaper, adding that she would spend most of her 71st birthday in front of a mall while waiting for a word about their home … okay, but now we do not know. " said Stapleton. "It does not sound good."
Firefighters discuss plans fighting Carr's fire in Shasta, California on Thursday. (Noah Berger / AP)
Journalists covering the fire also had to respond to the fire. Power was released in the newspaper Record Searchlight, while the information station KRCR had to evacuate its offices for a period of time
Gov. Jerry Brown (D) said the state of emergency in Shasta County, warning that Carr's fire "continues to threaten critical infrastructure" and claiming that "high temperatures, humidity low and erratic winds have further increased the spread of fire. " Brown had also declared emergency situations in other counties while the state was battling numerous fires. The Ferguson fire, which forced officials to close the Yosemite Valley at least over the weekend, burned more than 45,000 acres and was confined to 29% Friday morning. The Cranston fire in Riverside County had burned 11,500 acres and was contained at 3% at the same time, according to authorities.
This story has been updated since it was first published.
of the California forest fire season in 2017 is now clear. The danger is not over.
[ad_2]
Source link
