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Firefighter in California: Around 2000 buildings were threatened by the flames
Photo: Peter da SIlva / EPA-EFE
The forest fires near the US National Park Yosemite in the US state of California continue to spread.
An area of 4,800 hectares is currently affected, and more than 6,000 people have had to leave their homes and apartments, US media reported.
Around 2,000 buildings were threatened by the flames.
The fire broke out in the Mariposa district on Friday afternoon and had spread explosively, local authorities said on Saturday.
The southwestern United States has been suffering from several forest fires for weeks, which the authorities say are favored by the persistent drought.
The "Oak Fire" in California is raging mainly east of San Francisco and has already destroyed ten houses and damaged five others.
Thousands more could fall victim to the flames.
The fire activity was still "extreme," it said.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the fire was not contained on Saturday.
More than 500 firefighters were deployed with firefighting helicopters, among other things.
The Los Angeles Times reported, citing officials, that it could take a week for the fire to be contained.
Dangerous cloud of fire
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a "state of emergency" in Mariposa County on Saturday.
Eyewitnesses posted online photos of a huge whirl of thick smoke rising like a tornado over the forest.
This dangerous phenomenon, a pyrocumulus or fire cloud, can further fuel the fire.
Suffering from a prolonged drought, the western United States has seen wildfires of exceptional magnitude and intensity in recent years.
At the same time, the fire season is getting longer and longer.
The fire brigades fear particularly severe forest fires this year.
Other parts of the country are also experiencing an extreme heatwave over the weekend, which could peak on Sunday.
The National Weather Service warned of "extremely oppressive" temperatures in the east, among other places.
Temperatures of over 38 degrees were predicted for Sunday in the capital Washington.
In New York, the thermometer rose to around 35 degrees on Saturday.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu declared a “heat-related emergency” due to the high temperatures, which, among other things, allows swimming pools to be open longer.
In July, people in Western Europe had also groaned under the high temperatures, in March and April extreme heat had spread in India.
According to scientists, the global accumulation of heat waves is the result of the climate crisis.
cpa/dpa