Los Angeles (dpa) - In the extreme summer heat and drought in California, thousands of firefighters fight more than two dozen forest fires.
The largest fire in the north of the US west coast state has already destroyed almost 18,000 hectares of land. According to the authorities, the so-called Loyalton fire was only a third under control on Tuesday (local time). Several houses in the rural area burned down.
High temperatures and drought on the US west coast make fighting the flames difficult. The undergrowth in the forest areas is very dry and easily ignited by lightning.
More heat extremes are expected this week. In many parts of California, temperatures climbed to over 38 degrees Celsius in the last few days. In Death Valley, known for heat records, 130 degrees Fahrenheit (around 54.4 degrees Celsius) were measured on Sunday.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200818-99-216866 / 3
Fire authority