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Fire-fighting plane in the San Bernardino district: The Gender Reveal Party took place near Oak Glen
Photo:
Terry Pierson / dpa
An evacuation was ordered for several communities in the area, almost 30 square kilometers of land have already burned down: A party company in the US state of California caused a devastating bush fire through a fireworks at a baby celebration.
At the "gender reveal party" near Oak Glen in the San Bernardino district, "a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device" was used, which triggered the fire, the fire protection authority CAL Fire announced on Sunday evening (local time).
At these parties, expectant parents reveal whether their child is a girl or a boy, sometimes through pink or blue smoke.
The so-called "El Dorado Fire" east of Los Angeles then broke out on Saturday morning.
Around 500 fire fighters and several fire fighting helicopters are in action.
So far, the fire has only been able to contain just under five percent.
Evacuation was ordered for several communities in the area.
The authorities warned that in the face of heat and drought, there was an extreme risk of forest fires and negligent or illegal use of fire was a criminal offense.
Area twice the size of Luxembourg already destroyed
California is experiencing record heat this year, and the risk of forest fires is high.
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.
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Firefighters in the area:
Photo: Terry Pierson / imago images / ZUMA Press
The US state had only survived a heat wave with numerous fires in mid-August.
Since the lightning strikes that started the first fires in mid-August, more than 900 fires have broken out, it said.
A good 6,000 square kilometers of land have burned down.
That is more than double the area of Luxembourg.
At least eight people have died so far.
Almost 3300 buildings were reportedly destroyed.
Over the weekend, more than 200 people had to be brought to safety in a dramatic rescue operation from a campground in the north of the US state trapped by flames.
The campers were flown by National Guard helicopters from the Mammoth Pool Reservoir site in the Sierra Nevada.
In all of California, according to a situation report by the fire department on Sunday, more than 14,800 emergency services were busy containing 23 major fires.
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" caused by defective power lines spread rapidly through violent winds.
85 people died and tens of thousands were left homeless.
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apr / dpa / AFP
