In California, 2,000 residents were called on Wednesday to evacuate their homes “immediately”.
The decision was made in the run-up to the Dixie Fire, the largest blaze in this west coast state of the United States this year, fueled by high winds.
"If you had stayed, you should evacuate to the EAST, IMMEDIATELY!"
The Plumas County Sheriff's Department wrote in several Facebook posts, addressing residents of the communities of Greenville and Chester.
“If you can't evacuate (…) take refuge on the baseball field at Chester College,” he added.
The Dixie Fire has been raging in the forests of northern California since mid-July.
As in many regions of the world, climate change is causing heat peaks and drought in North America, which favor such phenomena.
The drought in the American West is one of the worst in the history of this area since surveys were carried out.
The CBS channel specifies that many people did not evacuate in Greenville despite the recommendations.
Firefighters cannot try to protect buildings, whatever they are, because they must first and foremost protect populations.
The city of about 1,000 inhabitants was largely destroyed.
We just entered Greenville on Hwy 89 This video was taken from Bidwell & Ann St. I'm so sorry for the town of Greenville.
#DixieFire pic.twitter.com/vtAiYpy1Dl
- SoCalFirePhoto (@SoCalFirePhoto) August 5, 2021
The head of operations on the spot warned that it "is not a normal fire".
Currently, it is the eleventh largest fire in California history.
5,000 firefighters are mobilized against the Dixie fire.
Last week, The Weather Channel explained that "the Dixie Fire, due to its vastness, generates clouds called Pyrocumulus which cause lightning strikes and violent gusts of wind, constantly fueling the source of the fire." Firefighters fear that it may not be really brought under control until the fall. In the short term, the wind should strengthen over the next few days, further fueling the flames.