Forest fires ravaged populated areas of the northern California wine country on Wednesday, destroying homes and forcing the evacuation of several thousand people.
Firefighters were fighting several dozen fire starts across the state on Wednesday. California is in the throes of a historic heat wave, which has caused power cuts, forcing the governor to declare a state of emergency.
Houses on fire at #Vacaville fire off Pleasants Valley Road. No firefighters able to handle #LightningComplex pic.twitter.com/izsnXrziTc
- Matthias Gafni (@mgafni) August 19, 2020These fires are currently devouring at least 48,500 acres, some near Los Angeles and San Francisco, according to the state fire department.
According to firefighters, around 20 separate fires are burning on steep terrain, fueled by extreme heat and low humidity. Two people were injured, said firefighters, quoted by the American channel CNN.
Thousands of residents were evacuated a few miles from San Francisco, where the two largest fires are raging according to firefighters.
Driving through Steele Canyon Rd during the #HennesseyFire in Napa County #FireWx @CAL_FIRE pic.twitter.com/KbA4jwRL3P
- Ethan Swope (@EthanSwopePhoto) August 19, 2020Smoke from the fires also blanketed the city of San Francisco on Wednesday morning.
Smoke is resting over San Francisco this morning. Fires are actively burning in various parts of the Bay Area. Things are moving quickly in #Vacaville
We're LIVE now: https://t.co/mHxj8wa5LD pic.twitter.com/R2b5h9hRO7
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California has experienced an unprecedented heat wave for a week, with Death Valley recording a record temperature of 54.4 ° C on Sunday.
Nearly 30,000 Californian homes are also deprived of power, according to the Poweroutage.us site, many electrical installations suffering from overheating.