(Los Angeles) In the midst of a heatwave alert, new fires are ravaging the Western United States and have led to the evacuation of several hundred families, American authorities said Monday.
Near Los Angeles, the Line Fire grew this weekend after breaking out on Thursday. It has burned more than 20,000 acres of arid countryside and is spreading into an area near tourist attractions.
Tens of thousands of homes are under threat and several roads have been closed as the gigantic flames spread across the scrub-covered hills, despite the efforts of more than 1,700 firefighters.
Another fire, the Bridge Fire, broke out Sunday afternoon. By Monday morning, it had consumed 1,200 hectares and prompted evacuation orders.
The dangerous heatwave that is crushing the region is complicating the fight by firefighters, both on the ground and in the air.
The mercury has exceeded 43 degrees in many places in the American West in recent days. And gusty winds are accelerating the spread of fires.
PHOTO NOAH BERGER, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Located near Clearlake, the Boyles Fire has already affected 30 buildings and destroyed 50 vehicles, according to local firefighters.
The heatwave alert remains in effect until the end of the day on Monday.
“Dangerous heat is expected for at least another day across Southern California and parts of the Southwest,” the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) warned.
The fire risk will remain “high to critical across much of the region over the next two days,” he added, pointing to “the combination of above-average temperatures, dry vegetation and gusty winds.”
In northern California, another small fire, but close to homes, has forced 4,000 people to flee. Located near Clearlake, the “Boyles Fire” has already affected 30 buildings and destroyed 50 vehicles, according to local firefighters.
In neighboring Nevada, the Davis Fire has ravaged 6,500 hectares of vegetation near Reno. At least 12,000 residents in the south of this metropolis have been asked to leave their homes and a dozen buildings have been damaged.
Images posted on social media show dozens of wild horses fleeing the flames.
The fire forced Democrat Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate for the White House, to cancel a rally he had planned for Monday night in Reno.