???? California on fire! A gigantic fire spreads quickly north of Los Angeles, driven by winds of 130 km/h. Houses destroyed, agricultural land ravaged, thousands of residents urgently evacuated. The fire season is in full swing amid alarming global warming…
As America woke up to the election of Donald Trump, California went up in flames. A deadly fire broke out Wednesday morning northwest of Los Angeles, spreading at an alarming speed, carried by extremely violent winds.
More than 3,600 hectares went up in smoke in a few hours
The toll is already heavy: several luxury homes reduced to ashes, agricultural land and orchards devastated. The fire quickly reached the upscale suburbs of Camarillo, where more than 70,000 people live under threat of flames.
Despite the massive mobilization of firefighters, the fire progressed at a crazy pace. By mid-afternoon, it had already consumed more than 3,600 hectares of vegetation. The winds, gusting close to 130 km/h, fuel its mad rush and hamper the deployment of air assets.
Thousands of residents ordered to evacuate urgently
Faced with the seriousness of the situation, authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of the most exposed areas north of Camarillo. Residents like Gail Liacko had to leave their homes quickly, leaving behind a life that was going up in smoke:
All of a sudden our outdoor furniture was covered in soot, smoke filled the street, it was very surreal. We don’t know what to bring in these moments of absolute panic.
Gail Liacko, evacuated resident
In rural areas, it’s a race against time to save livestock. An employee of a horse ranch describes harrowing scenes as she tries to evacuate the horses, against a backdrop of images showing the animals piled up in trailers.
The specter of “mega-fires” looms over California
After two relatively rainy winters, California is facing a particularly virulent fire season this summer. Global warming, with its repeated heat waves, has created the perfect conditions for conflagration.
The “Golden State” already suffered the fourth largest fire in its history in July-August. And another fire broke out to the south, this time threatening the luxury properties that dot the Malibu coast.
To stem the flames, more than 21,000 homes were left without power. A measure that has become customary in California to prevent overloading of electricity networks from fueling new fires.
An endless fight against the flames
As this new fire rages, California firefighters are once again preparing to fight a fierce battle. But faced with the power of the winds and the record drought of the vegetation, their task promises to be titanic.
Global warming promises ever more trying summers for California. With longer fire seasons and more intense fires, the “Golden State” unfortunately risks burning again and again in the years to come.
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