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Wildfires have been raging in the US state of California for weeks; Never since records began have fires at this point in the fire season destroyed more forests than this year. Trees on approximately 809,000 acres of land caught fire in California, an area of more than 8,000 square kilometers.
The sad previous record stood at 793,184 hectares and was set in 2018. The numbers have been recorded by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Safety (Cal Fire) since the late 1980s.
According to the agency, it is concerning that such a large area caught fire early in the annual wildfire season. The season of the worst fires is yet to come. Experience has shown that fires burn the most in September and October.
This year, 2,600 more fires were recorded than last year, according to a tweet from Cal Fire. In total, the region has more than 7600 sources of fire. Today, thousands of firefighters are deployed to fight the 25 largest fires.
So far, at least eight people have died in the flames and more than 3,000 buildings have been destroyed, according to the California fire department. Additionally, more than 170,000 homes were without power as the utility company PG&E cut off power in much of the state due to extreme wildfire risk.
Heating up climate change
Extreme drought and strong winds promote the spread of fires. Air from Canada rushed into the region, causing violent gusts in the Pacific Northwest.
Authorities had issued heat advisories for parts of Arizona, Nevada and California. Fires have also broken out in other US states.
Researchers have long seen fires worsen as a result of climate change. Extreme weather, such as drought and drought, create the conditions for the massive spread of seasonal fires. Vegetation dries up and catches fire more easily.
