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At least 15 people died in the largest fires on the west coast of the United States in memory, and more than 500,000 residents had to leave their homes. The true death toll, as well as the extent of the damage, literally went up in smoke on Friday, many cities in California, Oregon and Washington cut off from the outside world by gigantic walls of fire.
The flames were favored by a heat wave and strong winds. Seven other deaths were discovered in the Butte region of Northern California alone. That brings the total death toll in this region alone to ten, Sheriff Derek Bell said. According to authorities, at least 15 people died in the fires on the west coast. Among them was a one-year-old boy whose parents were with him fleeing a gigantic fire east of Seattle. His parents were badly burned. Authorities warned that more deaths were feared.
Five cities destroyed
In Oregon, authorities ordered half a million people to leave their homes and escape the fires. In fighting the flames, “the main thing is to save lives,” the state fire department said. In Oregon alone there are currently more than 3,600 square kilometers of fires, an area the size of Mallorca. Five cities have already been largely destroyed.
According to Governor Kate Brown, twice as much land caught fire in 72 hours as the average in a year. “We have never seen so many wildfires in our state.”
Only “smoking ruins” remain of much of Oregon City of Talent, as resident Sandra Spelliscy described: “There are various parts of the city where there is not a single building, just the skeletons of chimneys or charred appliances.”
Wildfires and scrub fires have increased dramatically in recent years, which is why experts say global warming is partly responsible. In November 2018, 86 people died in the upstate in the most momentous wildfire in California history.
But there are also advances in the fight against flames. Three large fire complexes around San Francisco have now been almost completely contained. But the city was still shrouded in thick smoke. Experts sometimes flagged the highest warning level for some areas in California: “Dangerous”, in German “dangerous.” Experts now hope for better weather.
