Forest fires in the U.S. state of California have spread to northern counties of the state. The U.S. state is trying to counter the fire. So far, without much success. The fire, called the Dixie Fire, has been raging here since mid-July. It has become one of the largest in the state's history. The blaze has already destroyed more than 500 miles of forests. Because of the extreme heat, wind, and drought, the Dixie Fire continues to spread.
According to the Guardian, new evacuations have been ordered, including the tiny village of Taylorsville. In five weeks, the Dixie Fire, which originated about 175 miles northeast of San Francisco, became the second-largest fire in state history and blackened an area twice the size of Los Angeles.
The town of Greenville, founded during the gold rush, burned to the ground. Residents of Chester, located on Lake Almanor, as well as several other communities, were evacuated.
Authorities said the Caldor fire, which broke out in early August in the Sierra Nevada region, continues to spread and has destroyed at least 50 homes. As part of safety measures, Pacific Gas & Electric suspended power to 18 communities in northern California. The decision affected almost 50,000 homes. APNews reports that authorities on Friday also closed a 46-mile (74-kilometer) stretch of Highway 50, the main route between the Sacramento state capital and Lake Tahoe on the Nevada border.
More than 5,000 people are fighting the fire.
The flames release smoke into the atmosphere, which is clearly visible from space. People living in dangerous areas are persuaded not to extinguish the fire themselves but to abandon everything and leave. It is not known at the moment how the flames destroyed many houses and buildings. However, it is assumed that the number will go into the hundreds.
Fire causes
Climate change is intensifying droughts that are drying out regions, creating ideal conditions for the spread of wildfires, which are causing unprecedented material and environmental damage. And at the same time, preliminary reports suggest the Dixie fire was triggered by a tree that fell on a power cable owned by regional utility Pacific Gas & Company (PG&E), a private operator previously blamed for a 2018 fire that killed 86 people.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, California is one of a dozen states in the West where 99 major active fires were burning as of Friday.
Fire destroys school
A small school and many other buildings burned down in the town of Grizzly Flats, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Only a few homes were damaged. Two people were injured during the evacuation and had to be taken to hospitals. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the region east of Sacramento's state capital to mobilize a quick help.
Lake County
Thousands of residents in Lake County, about 200 kilometers north of San Francisco, have also been ordered to evacuate their homes as a precautionary measure.
The so-called Cache fire reportedly engulfed several buildings.
Predictions by forecasters
A storm system is forecast for Northern California early next week, bringing winds but little precipitation. Along with that, the risk of fires will increase. Dozens of fires have broken out in recent days but were quickly extinguished.
