The voracity of fire in California is seen from space 0:46
(CNN) -
A new fire in Northern California has forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes as the United States fights 96 large fires that are active and have already burned more than 809,000 hectares.
The River Fire, which rages across Nevada and Placer counties in California, has destroyed or damaged an estimated 40 structures since it began Wednesday, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) Deputy Chief Jim Hudson said in Press conference.
It has already wiped out 566 hectares and did not hold back at all overnight on Wednesday.
Whirlpools, 'clouds of fire' and hazy skies: extreme fire behavior is just a preview of what's to come
In Placer County, nearly 2,400 people are being evacuated, said county Sheriff's Office spokesman Nelson Resendes.
In Nevada County, at least 4,200 residents are under an evacuation order or warning, County Sheriff Shannan Moon said.
"If you receive an evacuation warning, please go away. And if you receive an order, get out. Don't risk it (...) We don't need you there, you are risking your life," the sheriff said at the press conference on Wednesday. from Placer County, Devon Bell.
The 5 states most affected by fires in the US 0:41
Meanwhile, California's largest active wildfire, the Dixie, has raged through Greenville, a city in Plumas County that is also in the upstate region.
Video of the fire shows flames ripping through wooded terrain, charred cars and burning structures, including a gas station on a highway.
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"The Dixie fire swept into Greenville on Wednesday and early indications point to significant damage," California Governor's Office of Emergency Services spokesman Brian Ferguson told CNN in a telephone interview.
This above-average wildfire season is projected to continue into September, or perhaps longer
Residents of the city were warned to evacuate immediately.
"If you are still in the Greenville area, you are in imminent danger and you MUST leave now! ... If you stay, first responders may not be able to assist you," the Plumas County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. message.
On Wednesday night, first responders were still working to get everyone out.
Video shows how a forest fire consumes a city 0:54
"Right now, unfortunately there are still a lot of people in Greenville who didn't evacuate. So we have to deal with that ... and get all those people out," said Jake Cagle, head of operations sections for California Incident Management Team.
In an emotional video posted on Facebook, Congressman Doug LaMalfa, who represents the area where the Dixie fire is burning, said more needs to be done and more attention must be paid to what the fires are doing to communities.
"We lost Greenville tonight. And there are no words to explain how we in government have not been able to do the job," La Malfa said.
"We will fight even harder. And even more, we have to win this, we have to stop this. We have to get DC to pay attention, we have to get Sacramento to pay attention. Forget the politics, forget the bullshit. We have to quit. to make this happen by not paying attention to the obvious, "LaMalfa said.
There are currently 11 major fires active in California, which have burned more than 172,000 acres so far, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Oregon is the only state with the most active large fires - it has 15 in all.
And it is also where the largest active fire in the entire country is located, the Bootleg.
The Bootleg fire in Oregon is so big it's creating its own climate
Wildfires are being driven by extreme droughts, above-normal temperatures and low humidity.
Two brothers do not want to leave their home despite fire 2:21
North of the border in British Columbia Canada, there were 292 active wildfires as of Wednesday.
Of that total, 122 were categorized as out of control, according to the province's wildfire board.
Hawaii fights its biggest wildfire yet
Even being surrounded by water didn't prevent the fires in Hawaii.
Two homes were destroyed in the Mana Road Fire, the largest wildfire on record in Hawaii, the state Department of Lands and Natural Resources (DLNR) said.
The fire has burned approximately 16,000 to 20,000 hectares, fueled by gusts of wind that exceeded 80 km / h over the weekend, said Mike Walker, a DLNR technician.
The fire is now 75% contained, but the fight is not over, Walker said, explaining that firefighters will continue to attend to complex points for a few more days.
More than 520,000 hectares have been lost to fires in the US 4:35
While most people think of Hawaii as tropical, the island's leeward area is drier, and Hawaii has a year-round fire season, Walker explained.
Climate change has contributed to an increased fire risk on fallow agricultural land, he said.
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"The wet seasons are getting wetter and this creates a lot more fuel in the grasslands on these old farmlands, and the drought that follows the wet season heals the grass until it is ready to burn," Walker said.
And he cited the decline of farmland as a factor adding this important fuel to the landscape, which, devoid of crops, is rich in invasive grass species from Africa.
Federal forestry officials abandon 'let it burn' tactic after criticism
The Forest Service will no longer apply its 'let it burn' strategy to wildfires after federal officials allowed a small fire to grow out of control under extreme drought conditions, destroying homes and spawning new ones. criticism from western legislators.
The "controlled fires" suppression strategy, known colloquially as "let it burn," came under scrutiny again last month after Forest Service officials decided not to quickly extinguish the Tamarack fire caused by a lightning strike in a national forest. south of Lake Tahoe that ended up destroying 10 structures and burning more than 28,000 acres in two states.
The moment firefighters escape the Tamarack fire 0:48
California and Nevada lawmakers criticized the decision, as did California Governor Gavin Newsom, who told President Joe Biden in a virtual meeting last month that the Forest Service has a culture that "too often is to be expected and seen. ".
Forest Service Fire Chief Randy Moore announced the change in strategy in a memo on Monday, citing severe drought, limited resources and fatigue on firefighters after more than a year of near-constant deployments, in which They have also helped in the vaccination campaign against covid-19.
"The fire year of 2021 is different from all previous years," Moore wrote.
"In short, we are in a national crisis. At times like these, we must anchor ourselves to our core values, particularly security."
Moore said the policy change will prioritize extinguishing wildfires that could pose a threat to public safety, rather than using small fires to clear brush-covered grounds, until wildfire activity improves.
"We are in a 'triage mode' where our primary focus should be on fires that threaten communities and infrastructure," Moore wrote.
"There is a finite amount of resources available for fire suppression that must be prioritized and fires will not always get the resources that could be requested."
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Wildfires in the western United States: In California, wildfires have so far burned nearly twice the number of acres destroyed last year around this time.
This photo shows how flames from the dixie fire, one of the largest, consumed a home on July 24, 2021. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images)
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In this photo, from the beginning of the month, a group of firefighters monitors the Sugar fire in Doyle, California, on July 9.
(Credit: Noah Berger / AP)
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| Drought in the West: More than 95% of the western United States is at some level of drought. Scientists say that this unprecedented situation is a clear sign of how the climate crisis is affecting not only the weather, but also food production, electricity generation and water supply in the region. In this aerial photo, houseboats can be seen in shallow waters on Lake Oroville on July 25, 2021 in Oroville, California. (Credit: Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images)
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Heat: In June, heat waves had already devastated the United States and Canada, leaving hundreds of victims.
In July the high temperatures continued.
This temperature gauge shows a record of 50 degrees Celsius in Death Valley after 7 p.m. local time on July 11, 2021. (Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP / Getty Images)
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Fires in Siberia: In some areas of Siberia there have always been fires.
However, what worries scientists is that they are becoming more and more frequent.
This aerial image taken on July 27, 2021 shows the shadow of a protection services plane flying over an area that flames devastated in the republic of Sajá.
(Credit: DIMITAR DILKOFF / AFP / Getty Images)
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Floods in Europe: more than 200 people died on the continent due to flooding as a result of the torrential rains that hit Germany and Belgium, among others.
Germany got the worst of it.
Following the devastation, the president of the European Commission said the floods were proof that urgent action is needed to tackle climate change.
This photo shows a flooded street in Bad Muenstereifel, western Germany, on July 16, 2021. (Credit:
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In this image, meanwhile, a group of people try to preserve themselves amid the flooding in the streets of Liège, Belgium, on July 15.
(Credit: BRUNO FAHY / Belgian / AFP)
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Floods in China: a few days after the catastrophe in Europe, it was China's turn.
In the central city of Zhengzhou, more than 20 centimeters of rain fell in just one hour, which is equivalent to a third of all the rain in 2020. The floods there also claimed dozens of lives.
This image shows the situation in Zhengzhou on July 21, 2021. (Credit: AFP / Getty Images)
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This photo taken a day later shows rescuers evacuating people from a hospital after heavy rains in Zhengzhou.
(Credit: AFP / Getty Images)
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Fires in Turkey: In the last days of July, fires began to wreak havoc in Turkey.
In this photo, smoke from the flames moves over a hotel complex on the country's southern coast, near the city of Manavgat, on July 29, 2021. (Credit: Ilyas AKENGIN / AFP / Getty Images)
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who met with Newsom on Wednesday, promised more resources to fight fires and acknowledged that the federal agency's strategy for fighting the fires needed a change.
"I honestly think it's fair to say that for generations, for decades, we've tried to do this job cheaply," Vilsack said.
Vilsack praised Newsom for challenging the federal government to do more and vowed to "strengthen capacity with more personnel on the ground" and ensure that firefighters receive better compensation.
"This is music to our ears," Newsom said.