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Chinook helicopter over the campsite: "It felt like we were sitting in an oven"
Photo:
California National Guard HANDOUT / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
More than 200 campers trapped by a major forest fire in the US state of California could only be brought to safety by air at the weekend.
After their dramatic rescue with Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters of the US National Guard from the fire zone, those affected are still under the influence of the events.
"We thought we were going to die," Jerber Maradiaga told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Wrapped in wet towels, he and his family would have waited on the edge of the lake.
Saul Hernandez jumped into the water with his friends.
You could hardly have breathed because of the smoke, the 26-year-old described the scenario.
"It felt like we were sitting in an oven."
Campers and hikers had long had to fear for their lives.
Rapidly spreading forest fires turned parts of California into a hell of fire.
On Sunday night, the flames surrounded a campsite at the Mammoth Pool reservoir in the Sierra Nevada.
The way back on the only road there was blocked by fallen trees.
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Rescued: Campers inside a Chinook transport helicopter belonging to the California National Guard
Photo:
- / dpa
The National Guard flew the trapped vacationers to Fresno that night.
According to the Madera County Sheriff's figures, 20 injured, some with broken bones and burns, were rushed to hospitals.
Several places are evacuated
The Californian Juliana Park posted a video of her adventurous escape in the car from the burning forest.
She quickly broke off a planned hike with friends when ash rained down on her.
The short video shows how the group has to avoid blazing flames on both sides of the road.
The flames of the so-called Creek Fire had spread to just under 185 square kilometers from Friday evening to Sunday evening.
Almost 500 firefighters fought the flames in the inaccessible forest area.
According to the fire department, the fire in the Sierra National Forest threatened up to 3,000 houses.
Evacuation was ordered for several locations.
On the southern edge of Yosemite National Park, the Mariposa Grove with its famous sequoia trees was closed to visitors on Sunday evening.
The cause of the "Creek Fire" is unclear.
Hundreds of fires in the west coast state had been triggered by lightning in the past few weeks.
In extreme heat, new fires flared up in Southern California over the weekend.
Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the affected regions on Sunday.
In this way, money and resources can be made available more quickly.
California has had a heat wave under control since Saturday.
In Woodland Hills, northwest of Los Angeles, 49.4 degrees Celsius were measured on Sunday, the NOAA weather agency said.
This is a record for Los Angeles County.
The fire department called on residents of the affected regions in the state to spend as little time as possible outside because of the rising temperatures on this long holiday weekend.
The intense heat and drought should continue in large parts of California for the next few days.
California, which often suffers from drought, is regularly hit by wildfires.
Usually, the worst fires do not occur until the end of summer.
Paradise in Northern California was hit particularly badly in November 2018.
The "camp" fire, triggered by defective power lines, spread rapidly through violent winds.
85 people died and tens of thousands were left homeless.
In the past, US President Donald Trump had also politically instrumentalized the fires by accusing the state of poor forest management.
He rejected the assessment by experts that increased drought, heat and extreme weather conditions were exacerbating the situation due to climate change.
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apr / dpa