Thousands of people are under evacuation orders in Northern California as some 30 wildfires rage across the state, as Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide …
Thousands of people are under evacuation orders in Northern California as some 30 wildfires rage across the state, as Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency in response to the blazes. A dayslong heat wave with triple-digit temperatures, dry conditions, and storms rolling off the Pacific Ocean with vivid lightning have fueled the blazes. Newsom said Tuesday he was declaring a statewide emergency to help ensure the availability of vital resources to combat fires burning across the state. “We are deploying every resource available to keep communities safe as California battles fires across the state during these extreme conditions,” he said in a statement. “California and its federal and local partners are working in lockstep to meet the challenge and remain vigilant in the face of continued dangerous weather conditions.” In the northern part of the state, at least seven fires were grouped together as one of two major Lightning Fires, sparked by earlier storms. Fire officials have warned of “extreme fire behavior” challenging firefighters, including strong winds. “Throughout the state of California right now, we are stretched thin for crews,“ Will Powers, a spokesperson for Cal Fire, told the Associated Press. “Air resources have been stretched thin throughout the whole state.” The blazes have burned more than 50,000 acres across seven counties in Northern California and the Central Valley.
