At least five people were killed in the California forest fires and thousands of people left their homes. Countless firefighters are on duty – but only seven percent of the fires are under control.
In California, the fire department continues to fight the devastating forest fires that are raging in large parts of the US state. Three huge groups of fires covered a total of 2020 square kilometers of forest, canyons and rural areas around San Francisco. Almost 12,000 firefighters were in action, said the Californian fire protection authority. So far it has been possible to bring only seven percent of the flames under control.
At least five people have died in the fires since Wednesday. More than 30 firefighters and civilians were injured, according to the authorities. At least two people are still missing.
119,000 people had to leave their homes
About 119,000 people have already fled their homes, the authorities said. However, many of the people who have had to leave their homes have difficulty finding accommodation. Some did not want to go to the protection centers set up by the authorities for fear of being infected with the corona virus.
Nearly 500 buildings were destroyed in the three affected counties, Napa County, Lake County and Sonoma County, and tens of thousands more houses are threatened by the rapidly spreading large fire.
San Francisco and Santa Cruz not yet affected
The evacuation area has been expanded in some areas. Extreme drought exacerbated the situation. The coastal city of Santa Cruz with 65,000 inhabitants has not yet been affected. Mayor Justin Cummings called on residents to prepare for an evacuation. The biggest fires blaze north and south of San Francisco. The authorities asked the residents of the coastal metropolis to stay in their homes.
The California Fire Department was supported in fighting the flames by teams from Oregon, Idaho and Arizona, the emergency services said. Fire trucks from Maryland and New Jersey are on the way. The unusually large number of major fires blazing at the same time had previously brought the fire brigade to the limits of its capabilities. Some firefighters were on duty 72 hours straight – instead of the usual 24 hours, according to the operations management.
Fires caused by lightning strikes
The fires were triggered by an unprecedented series of lightning strikes. Within a few days, almost 12,000 lightning bolts were counted, igniting more than two dozen large fires, especially in the north of the US state with its currently extremely dry forest and bushland.
Governor Gavin Newsom also attributed the fires to climate change. He went to an evacuation center and said, “If you are fighting climate change, come to California.”
California, often suffering from drought, is hit by forest fires every year. Usually the worst fires don’t start until the end of summer. The place Paradise in Northern California was hit particularly badly in November 2018, where strong winds quickly spread the so-called “camp” fire. 85 people died and tens of thousands were left homeless.
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