It blew up in the Los Angeles area the largest fire in the state of California this year. Took part in the firefighting operation 1,150 firefighters. Also taken attempts to extinguish the fire from the air, using helicopters. Seven so-called air tankers. So far, only 8 percent of the fire has been contained. The fire covered approximately 60 square kilometers of forest.
Over a thousand holidaymakers were evacuated relaxing in the nearby Hungry Valley park in Lebec. Pyramid Lake, which is frequently used by boaters, was also closed.
The National Fire Center informs that the situation is extremely difficult. Poor visibility and winds blowing at speeds of up to 80 km/h make firefighting difficult.
There were more than a dozen smaller fires sparked by heat across the state over the weekend.
USA. Wildfires are ravaging California. Historic heatwave forecast
– As a result of two consecutive wet winters there has been significant additional growth, especially of grassbut also, to a lesser extent, heavier bushes, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, quoted by AFP.
– These grasses are starting to dry out, although there is still some moisture at the beginning of summer – he added.
Americans are expecting a historic heat wavewhich is expected to hit the central and eastern parts this week United States. A record has already been broken in the western part of the United States. At the beginning of June this year in Las Vegas, 44 degrees Celsius appeared on thermometers earlier than ever.
About 50 percent more land has burned in California this year than the five-year average.