Wildfires in the US – Huge clouds of smoke endanger millions of people – News

• Wildfires in the western United States continue to rage and endanger the lives of millions of people.
• According to media reports, huge clouds of smoke have made extinction work difficult and threaten the health of millions of people in the region.
• President Donald Trump plans a visit to the crisis zone today.
• Due to the announced favorable winds and lower temperatures, authorities expect the situation to ease slightly.

Oregon environmental agencies classify air quality in the state as “unhealthy” or “very unhealthy.” Air pollution was also classified as severe for the US cities of Portland and Seattle and Vancouver in Canada.

“It’s like I’ve smoked 100 cigarettes”

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“It’s like in a movie: you don’t expect it to happen to you. But then it’s scary, “Carrie Clarke, who was evacuated from the city of Molalla, near Portland, told AFP.

Local residents found by AFPs were preparing to leave the city temporarily. Like Jessie, 37, who was traveling to neighboring Idaho with her wife. “It’s like I’ve smoked 100 cigarettes,” she said, describing the quality of the air in front of her car loaded with bags.

The fires continued to burn in California as well. The current wildfire season there, which is likely to last for weeks, is already considered the worst on record.

Trump visits the fire service area

Near Sacramento, in central California, US President Donald Trump wants to personally attend a briefing on Monday for the first time this fire season.

In the three states of California, Oregon and Washington alone, the death toll rose to at least 33 over the weekend as a result of the fires that had raged for weeks, television stations NBC and CNN reported. According to the New York Times, a total of about 20,200 square kilometers of forest has burned in recent weeks. That corresponds to a little more than the area of ​​half of Switzerland.

There have been reports of 22 deaths in California since the first fire broke out in mid-August, and ten casualties have also been reported from Oregon. So far a victim has been confirmed in the neighboring northern state of Washington. Additionally, dozens of people have been reported missing in the three states along the coast, and local authorities fear more deaths.

Tens of thousands fleeing the flames

Tens of thousands of people have already had to leave their homes to flee the flames, and in Oregon alone hundreds of thousands depend on at least preparing for an evacuation. However, according to The Oregonian newspaper, evacuation warning levels have been relaxed in some areas.

Because visibility is severely affected by smoke, people are instructed to refrain from driving. In Oregon and California, authorities also expected to relax through favorable winds, possible rain and lower temperatures.

Did the fires start?

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According to media reports, the police arrested suspected arsonists in some places. The case of a homeless person in California is known. He is said to have started a fire in mid-August during a dispute. Meanwhile, he has been charged.

Oregon authorities said the fear of looting was unfounded, with only a few robbery attempts.

“This is a wake-up call that we must do everything we can to combat climate change,” Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Sunday on CBS television. Scientists believe the climate crisis is certain to exacerbate the climatic extremes that contribute to more violent wildfires. In Oregon, about 4,000 square kilometers of forest area was burned, twice the number in an average year.