Since last Friday, wildfires have ravaged more than 4,500 acres of forest area close to Yosemite National Park, putting the lives of huge sequoias at jeopardy.
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| [California Oak Fire 2022] |
A state of emergency has been declared by the governor of California, Gavin Newson, in Mariposa County, which is located on the west coast of the United States. This is because of the fire that has been raging since Friday and has caused the destruction of homes and infrastructure, as well as the evacuation of more than 6,000 people living in the state, after consuming more than 4,500 hectares of forest land. According to Newson, the decision to take the action was made "in consideration of the fact that high temperatures, acute drought conditions, and winds have boosted both the severity and spread of the fire."
According to the office of the governor, fire and rescue services are collaborating with state agencies, as well as those from local governments and the federal government, in order to coordinate the emergency response. The heat wave that hit several regions of the state has increased the risk of fires, such as the great Oak Fire, which started on Friday near Yosemite National Park, where the giant sequoias had already been threatened by flames in recent days. This fire is just one example of the increased risk of fires that has been caused by the heat wave. Within twenty-four hours, the fire spread from around three hundred and fifty acres to approximately nine thousand five hundred and eighty hectares, earning the official designation of "explosive." Mainly affecting Mariposa County, it has already caused the destruction of 10 homes and damaged an additional five, and it poses a danger to an additional tens of thousands of other structures.
According to Hector Vasquez, who is the chief of public communications for the California Department of Forestry and Fire, more than 6,000 individuals have been forced to flee their homes. Along with the support of airplanes, more than five hundred firemen are now fighting to douse the flames. In recent years, California and other portions of the western United States have been destroyed by large wildfires that are fast developing because of years of drought and warmer climate. According to the National Weather Service, "the excessive heat will continue in the central United States and expand to the Northeast this weekend, with record temperatures forecast throughout the area on Sunday" (NWS). The warm temperatures "will then fuel severe weather in the northern Midwest," including damaging gusts, huge hail, and maybe even some tornadoes.
The heat was especially oppressive in Washington, when the temperature reached the milestone of one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, which is significant in many cultures (38 degrees Celsius). Temperatures as close to 35 degrees Fahrenheit were recorded in New York City as well. The National Weather Service predicts that the temperature may even climb to 43 degrees in some parts of Utah (in the west), Arizona (in the south), and the northeast.