Devastating forest fires: California asks foreign countries for help

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A firefighter looks at the flames, in California alone more than 560 major fires are raging

Noah Berger / dpa

California is fighting devastating forest fires: According to the media, more than 560 major fires have spread over an area of ​​more than 3000 square kilometers in the US west coast state. To fight the flames, California's governor asked Australia, Canada and several US states for help, write the US media.

Around 120,000 people have already been ordered to leave their homes and get to safety. Many of them will probably not be able to return for weeks, reports the "San Fransisco Chronicle". At least five people have died since Wednesday. On Thursday, rescue workers recovered four bodies, three of them from a burned house in Napa County. The helicopter pilot had already died on Wednesday in a crash during a fire fighting operation.

Most fires are said to have been dissolved by lightning strikes, and great drought continues to fuel them. The fires affect, among other things, the oldest state nature reserve in California, Big Basin Redwoods, which is known for giant sequoia trees. Around 12,000 firefighters are on duty to put out the flames. By Friday noon (local time) it was possible to bring only seven percent under control, said the emergency services. 

"We are not out of the woods yet"

"I hope for good news, but it will take a long time," Shana Jones of the Cal Fire Department of California told CNN. "We're not out of the woods yet." Officials have asked people across California to prepare a bag with a change of clothes and essentials in the event of a quick evacuation, US media wrote.

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A woman stands in the remains of her partner's house. The photo was taken on Friday in Vacaville, California

The corona pandemic is making the situation more difficult. Some people are afraid of getting infected in shelters. California has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 650,000 corona cases have already been confirmed and around 12,000 deaths have been documented in the most populous state in the United States.

In the districts of San Mateo and Santa Cruz, numerous people stayed in car trailers in parking lots or on the beach. In Santa Cruz, the authorities called on tourists to leave hotels and apartments. The accommodation should be made available to people who had to flee from the flames.

San Francisco smells the smoke

The biggest fires blaze north and south of San Francisco. There you could smell the smoke on Friday. The authorities asked the residents of the coastal metropolis to stay in their homes.

Drought is a major problem in California, the state battles forest fires every year. However, the most devastating fires usually don't appear until late summer. Paradise in Northern California was hit particularly badly in November 2018: 85 people died and tens of thousands were left homeless.

Even now, two fires are among the largest in the recent history of the state. According to the media, the LNU Lightning Complex in Napa Valley has now spread over an area of ​​around 1200 square kilometers. The SCU Lightning Complex east of Silicon Valley rages on around 1,100 square kilometers.

California Governor Gavin Newsom had linked the fires to climate change in a video for the nomination party conference of the US Democrats. "If you are fighting climate change, come to California," he said.

irb / AFP / dpa