Nearly 240,000 displaced by California fires, reinforcements arrive

Nearly 240,000 people have been evacuated to escape the fires ravaging California, whose authorities have received reinforcements in men and equipment in recent hours, before a possible new series of thunderstorms.

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About 20 major homes were still in operation on Sunday, including the LNU Lightning Complex and the SCU Lightning Complex, respectively north and southeast of San Francisco.

The LNU has already crossed over 138,000 hectares, making it the second largest perimeter fire in California history, behind the Mendocino Complex, and its 185,000 hectares that went up in smoke in July 2018. The SCU Complex is already the third most devastating fire, with more than 137,000 hectares destroyed, while it was only 10% contained on Sunday morning.

In total, of all the major fires listed in California, which killed at least five people, more than 1,000 buildings were destroyed, including 845 for the LNU Complex alone, which was 17% contained on Sunday.

240,000 people evacuated

Nearly 240,000 people were evacuated in the " Golden State ", the nickname of this state, said Sunday Daniel Berlant, spokesperson for the California fire protection agency, CalFire, in a video posted on Twitter.

The Californian authorities recognized that the manpower was, at first, insufficient to fight effectively against so many large-scale fires.

But the California firefighters have received, in recent hours, reinforcement of men and equipment from several American states, including Oregon, Texas, Arizona or New Mexico, announced the spokesperson for CalFire. About 200 men from the National Guard were also mobilized, and about 14,000 firefighters were on the job Sunday.

Already under tension, California was preparing to experience a new weather sequence marked by possible thunderstorms until Tuesday, which could lead to the start of fires.