Violent wildfires in California, thousands of residents flee the north of the region

California is suffocating. A violent fire rages Wednesday in the north of the region, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. On the ground, firefighters are fighting to protect homes surrounded by burning trees, while helicopters and water bombers tackle the flames. Further away, charred rubble of buildings still smokes.

Already more than 1,400 hectares of meadows and forest have been consumed since Tuesday near Oroville, where the authorities have asked more than 10,000 people to leave the area. This blaze strikes just a few dozen kilometers from Paradise, a town hit in 2018 by the deadliest fire in the history of this American state with 85 deaths. The approximately 1,400 firefighters who are fighting the flames, helped by planes and helicopters, are facing very difficult conditions, warned the local fire chief, Garrett Sjolund.

State of emergency declared

“The brush is dry, and as you can see, any gust of wind is going to push the fire forward very quickly,” he warned. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency to mobilize more resources. More than 25,000 people are under evacuation orders, according to local NBC affiliate KCRA.

“A bad season for fires”

Adding to the mix is ​​a very unusual week in the United States, the Fourth of July holiday, traditionally celebrated by Americans with their own fireworks – a nightmare for firefighters. With four fires already in Butte County, “it’s a bad season for fires,” said Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea. “The last thing we want is for someone who bought fireworks down the street to go do something stupid. Don’t be stupid,” he urged.

The fire is raging as a heatwave hits the region, with temperatures expected to reach 46 degrees Celsius in the coming days, with the long weekend in the United States with the Independence Day on Thursday, July 4. Repeated heat waves are a marker of global warming linked to climate change, scientists insist.