California wildfire spread through thousands of acres

California wildfire spread through thousands of acres.

California wildfire: After starting a day earlier, a wildfire in California tore over hundreds of acres on Saturday as millions of Americans sweltered in the heat as temperatures that were already breaking records were expected to rise.

The risk of fires has grown due to the widespread heat wave, such as the significant Oak Fire that started on Friday in California close to Yosemite National Park, where gigantic sequoias have already been put in danger by fire in recent days.

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Within 24 hours, the fire—which authorities called “explosive”—grew from around 600 acres to over 9,500 (3,800 hectares). Concentrated in Mariposa County, it has already damaged five buildings and destroyed 10, with hundreds more potentially at risk.

As of Saturday evening, the fire has forced the evacuation of more than 6,000 people, according to Hector Vasquez, a public relations officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

While emergency services tried to evacuate individuals and safeguard buildings in its path, the fire left behind ashes, charred automobiles, and twisted remnants of houses.

According to Vasquez, more than 500 firemen are using airplanes to help put out the fires. However, the Los Angeles Times reported officials who indicated that it might take a week to control.

Vasquez told AFP that “people are coming from different agencies all throughout the state to assist suppress this fire,” adding that the situation was still “very hard.”

While shocked social media users uploaded pictures of towering plumes of smoke that rose hundreds of feet in the air, climate scientist Daniel Swain tweeted that the fire was “exhibiting continuously extraordinary behavior.”

Due to years of drought and a changing climate, large, scorching, and rapidly spreading wildfires have recently scorched California and other regions of the western United States.

High heat and drought have not been “in our favor,” according to Vasquez.