[ad_1]
Firefighters fight flames in the Angeles National Forest, northeast of Los Angeles. Image: keystone
America is on fire! The worst wildfires in history have killed 33 so far
In the western United States, dozens of wildfires have reached unprecedented proportions. Tens of thousands were scared over the weekend. In the three states of California, Oregon and Washington alone, the death toll rose to at least 33 as a result of fires that had raged for weeks, television stations NBC and CNN reported. According to the New York Times, an area of around 20,200 square kilometers of forest has burned in recent weeks, which is almost half the area of Switzerland.
A firefighter examines a fire station in Berry Creek, California, that has caught fire. Image: keystone
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. Among the dead was a 13-year-old boy who died with a dog on his lap when the family tried to escape the flames in the car, according to CNN. So far a victim has been confirmed in neighboring Washington state. ABC broadcaster reported Wednesday that it was a one-year-old boy who was surrounded by flames with his parents.
Additionally, dozens of people have been reported missing in the three states along the coast, and local authorities fear more deaths.
Berry Creek Village residents speak to officers at a barricade. Image: keystone
“Entire cities have caught fire,” CNN reported Saturday. 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.
“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 burned, twice the number in an average year.
This year, according to the New York Times, the soils in the northwest of the state in particular were parched from a severe drought, meaning the fires also spread to regions not normally affected by fires. The fires also reached near the city of Portland. According to the IQAir database, it was the city with the highest air pollution in the world. Doctors also reported on CNN that air quality in many cities had reached harmful levels.
A man walks through the remains of his home in Oregon that was destroyed by a wildfire. Image: sda
Tens of thousands of firefighters battled wildfires and in some places the situation stabilized somewhat Sunday. According to the Oregon 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 expected relaxation through favorable winds, possible rains and lower temperatures.
Clouds of smoke from the wildfires have been engulfing Washington for days. Image: keystone
But this year’s fire season will last a few more weeks. The fire department called on people on the West Coast to remain vigilant: “Don’t be fooled by colder temperatures,” the “USA Today” newspaper quoted David Berlant of the California Cal Fire authority. “Historically, September and October have the largest and most destructive wildfires.”
US President Donald Trump wants to be personally briefed on the California wildfires for the first time on Monday. Trump will visit McClellan Park, a settlement north of Sacramento in the center of the state, spokesman Judd Deere confirmed for the German news agency on Saturday. He will participate in a meeting with regional and federal forces.
A satellite photo captured by NASA shows the September 8 wildfires in Oregon. Image: keystone
According to media reports, the police arrested suspected arsonists in some places. Oregon authorities said the fear of looting was unfounded, with only a few robbery attempts.
“We are in a climate crisis,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said Friday during a visit to the burned forests near the village of Oroville. Many scientists have been predicting this development for years. (sda / dpa / pls)
