The fires that destroyed “in the blink of an eye” entire neighborhoods in the US state of Colorado were mostly extinguished during the night of Friday, December 31 to Saturday, January 1, heavy snowfall having smothered the last embers.
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At least 500 houses have gone up in smoke and tens of thousands have had to flee, but no deaths have so far been reported. “a miracle” according to the governor of that state, Jared Polis. The damage is no less striking: in aerial images, entire streets are little more than piles of smoking ash.
Impressive flames tore the sky, fanned by strong winds, which blew up to 160 km / h Thursday. The fire was reportedly caused by power lines falling on arid soil.
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Like much of the American West, Colorado, an already arid state, has suffered from exceptional drought for several years. With global warming, the intensity and frequency of drought and heatwave episodes are likely to increase further, continuing to create ideal conditions for forest or bush fires. In recent years, this part of the United States has experienced unprecedented fires, particularly in California and Oregon.
In an appeal with Governor Polis, President Joe Biden promised that “everything would be done to provide immediate assistance to the people and populations affected”, according to the White House. He ordered the payment of federal aid to Colorado.