A portion of California has been placed under a state of emergency as a wildfire continues to expand quickly close to Yosemite National Park.
Since it began on Friday, the so-called Oak Fire has grown significantly in size. But 24 hours later, firefighters were still unable to put any of it under control.
The California fire department stated that personnel are being challenged by explosive fire behavior.
A state of emergency has been declared
Ten homes have been damaged, and more than 3,000 people have been evacuated.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), it has burned 11,900 acres (4,815 hectares) of land. It makes Oak Fire the largest active wildfire in the United States right now.
A state of emergency has been declared in Mariposa County. In a statement, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom said the flames were being “driven by hot, dry weather and drought conditions.”
This weekend, much of the United States is experiencing a heatwave
Much of the United States is sweltering through a heatwave this weekend. Temperatures in Mariposa County hit 96F (35.5C) on Saturday. It is expected to stay at that level for the next few days.
Some of the biggest and oldest sequoia trees in the world may be found at Yosemite National Park. It is northeast of where the Oak Fire is now burning. Earlier last month, a different fire endangered the redwoods. But firefighters were able to preserve them.
Nearly 1,600 people have already had to leave the region due to the Washburn Fire. Including hundreds of campers who were camping nearby and the Wawona village. It is located inside the national park.
Investigations into what started the fire are ongoing. It is challenging to contain the fires, according to fire authorities, because of the warm, dry weather.
Forest fires in California destroyed thousands of massive sequoia trees last year
Some of the largest trees on earth are giant sequoias. The tallest is 83 meters (275 feet). It has a base that is nearly 11 meters (36 feet) in diameter.
Thousands of gigantic sequoia trees in California were devastated by forest fires the previous year. The greatest grove of gigantic sequoias in Yosemite National Park is under threat from wildfire that is spreading through California.
Earlier, the Washburn Fire was grown by half in the last day, and it is currently thought to have consumed 1,591 acres.
Some of the oldest and biggest redwood trees in the world are being protected by firefighters. They are battling fires in challenging terrain.
Residents and campers close to the fire have been evacuated, and area’s poor air quality and picturesque views of the park have both been hampered by the dense smoke.
Wildfires are growing more common because of climate change
Wildfires are becoming increasingly frequent due to climate change’s increased warmth and more severe droughts.
The number of wildfires burning throughout the US this year, according to officials, is over 35,000, well above average.
The likelihood of hot, dry weather, which is prone to starting wildfires, is increasing due to climate change. Since the start of the industrial age, the world has already warmed by around 1.1C. Temperatures will continue to rise unless governments drastically reduce emissions.
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