Gavin Newsom, California, on Tuesday declared a state of emergency to ensure the state gets vital resources at lunchtime from fires that have intensified a rising heat wave.
At least 27 fires are raging across the state, some of them caused by lightning from a rare summer thunderstorm Sunday, according to a map from the California Department of State Forest Management and Fire Protection. The flames have intensified temperatures from an already serious heat wave that rolled in over the weekend.
Saturday, a fierce tornado was spotted near the Nevada border, where the Loyalton Fire remains burning in the Tahoe National Forest.
The emergency order allows agencies to deploy every possible resource to keep residents safe under such “extreme” conditions, Newsom announced Tuesday.
“California and its federal and local partners are working in lockstep to meet the challenge and remain vigilant in the face of continuing dangerous weather conditions,” Newsom said.
The state has experienced rolling blackouts as the high temperatures stretch the state’s energy network to its limits.
The governor on Monday issued an emergency proclamation to prevent rolling blackouts. The sequence allowed some users and utilities to use “backup energy sources” during peak hours.
The National Water Service urges residents on the West Coast to take the elevated temperatures seriously to prevent disease outbreaks.
“Yes, it’s summer, and summer is hot, but this is different,” the agency tweeted. “These are record high temperatures in what is typically one of the hottest times of the year.”
