Near Los Angeles, more than a hundred houses destroyed by a large fire

The Mountain Fire broke out near the town of Camarillo on Wednesday. It is burning in an area where around 30,000 people live.

Californian authorities asked thousands of people to evacuate on Thursday, November 7, in the face of a large fire that continues to worsen in the hills of the northwest of the Los Angeles region. The Mountain Fire broke out near the town of Camarillo on Wednesday. It is burning in an area where about 30,000 people live, according to Ventura County firefighters.

Its cause is still unknown, but the flames spread quickly thanks to powerful winds, with gusts of up to 130 km/h. It threatens more than 3,500 homes and has already consumed more than 8,300 hectares. As of Thursday evening, the fire was only 5% contained, according to authorities. A first estimate of the damage by the authorities shows 132 houses completely destroyed and around 88 badly damaged by the flames. A state of emergency was declared in the most affected areas by Governor Gavin Newsom, who visited the area on Thursday.

After two rainy winters which provided a relative respite, California is experiencing a very active fire season this year. The vegetation reformed thanks to the precipitation of the last two years has dried up and becomes a powerful fuel. This summer, the “Golden State” suffered from several heat waves, signs of global warming. In July-August, it suffered the fourth largest fire in its history.

Since the 19th century, the average temperature of the Earth warmed by 1.1°C. Scientists have established with certainty that this increase is due to human activities, which consume fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). This warming, unprecedented in its speed, threatens the future of our societies and biodiversity. But solutions – renewable energies, sobriety, reduced meat consumption – exist. Discover our answers to your questions on the climate crisis.