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Redding, CA >> Hundreds of firefighters worked in the heat today to tackle three major forest fires in the forests far north of Northern California. There, flames destroyed some houses and evacuated some communities.
Mount Shasta, a volcano that rises in the area, was covered in clouds of smoke seen on images from space meteorological satellites.
The scene recalls last year’s California forest fire season that burned more than 17,000 square kilometers of land, the state’s most recorded history.
The anomalous heat waves in the Pacific Northwest upstream of California were slowly receding but should cool slightly before returning to the July 4th weekend.
“Very hot and dry,” said Susie Johnson, a spokeswoman for the salt-fired Shasta Trinity National Forest, which closed several lanes on Interstate 5 on Wednesday and urged evacuation. Said. Orders for some streets in Lakehead, an unincorporated parish of about 700 residents.
A reporter from Redding Record Searchlight reported seeing at least 12 destroyed buildings south of Lakehead, including houses, garages and outbuildings.
Investigators are trying to find a car near Interstate 5 on Wednesday afternoon that may have caught fire when hot parts or parts flew and ignited a dry brush, Johnson said. I told the newspaper.
About 300 firefighters fought the flames but were hampered by hot weather and difficult terrain, officials said.
The fire threatened homes around Lake Shasta, north of the city of Reading, more than 200 miles north of San Francisco. Huge lakes are popular with vacationers, but droughts have lowered the water level dramatically.
No building damage was reported from two other fires in the north that erupted when California and the rest of the western United States were hit by a historic climate-related drought.
In the north, partially burning lava fires grew on the sides of Mount Shasta to nearly 31 square miles (80 square kilometers), 25% of which was contained. Evacuation orders for communities near the town of Weed were still in effect.
The rugged rocky terrain challenged about 1,300 firefighters last week to fight the flames ignited by lightning.
In the northeast, tenant fires and forced evacuation in the Klamath National Forest expanded to approximately 38 square kilometers on Monday. The fire was supposed to spread north towards Oregon and its cause was being investigated.
Many California national parks have restrictions on campfires, cooking, and smoking due to the risk of hot, dry summer fires. The park entertains a large number of people on holiday weekends.
Fire departments across California have also stepped up a campaign to encourage people not to use fireworks to celebrate July 4th.
“The fuel is dry,” said Darryl Osby, director of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, at a news conference. “We are very concerned about the use of all types of fireworks.”
California Firefighters Fight Large Forest Fires In Extreme Heat Source link California Firefighters Fight Large Forest Fires In Extreme Heat
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