WASHINGTON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The extent of the California wildfire has increased dramatically, making it the state’s biggest fire so far this year.
The state’s fire department reports that the McKinney Fire has burned 21,000 hectares (52,500 acres) so far. The fire had begun on Friday in northern Siskiyou county.
Both locals and hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail have left the area which is about 2,000 people. Unknown numbers of houses have been lost.
The fire brigade said that as of Monday morning, it was still completely uncontained.
In the Klamath National Forest, close to the Oregon border, the McKinney Fire is raging. The Los Angeles Times reported about 650 firemen were battling the fires in stifling temperatures.
A red flag warning is now in effect which implies there could be a possibility of dangerous fire conditions. This especially when drought conditions are prevalent in California.
Following threats to infrastructure and the destruction of homes, a state of emergency was declared on Saturday in Siskiyou County, state governor Gavin Newsom stated.
The US Forest Service said that many communities were in danger, including Fort Jones and Yreka.
Authorities have warned that possible thunderstorms might cause more flames to spread in the upcoming days.
Adrienne Freeman, spokesperson for the US Forest Service said that the fuel beds were so dry and they could simply erupt from that lightning, and the gusty unpredictable winds that accompany thunder cells could spread flames in every direction.
This fire is the second major fire to hit the state in recent months. The Oak Fire, close to Yosemite National Park, was still raging after eight days, however, 67 percent of it has been contained, reported the fire department Cal Fire.
There are still months of fire season left for California.
Climate change is causing a rise in the plausibility of hot dry weather, which is prone to start wildfires.
Since the beginning of the industrial age, the global temperature has already risen by about 1.1C, and temperatures will continue rising unless governments take drastic measures to reduce emissions.
