Firefighters struggle to contain California wildfires amid deadly heatwave
Firefighters in California are tackling multiple different wildfires as the state continues to be gripped by a blistering and lethal heatwave.
Three separate brush fires started on July 14, amid the intense heatwave which has seen the state gripped by dry, hot weather. The fires were within 40 miles of each other - mostly in rural areas across Riverside County, southeast of Los Angeles.
Almost 1,000 homes were under evacuation orders, but thankfully there were no immediate reports of injuries or property loss, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
By the evening, two of the fires had stopped spreading and so were contained. However, a third grew at a "rapid rate" to cover an area of more than two square miles in a matter of hours.
The Rabbit Fire is the least contained of the latest California wildfires (AFP via Getty Images)The largest of the fires has been called the 'Rabbit Fire' which has taken hold in Moreno Valley. As of Saturday night, July 15, the fire covered an area of 7,600 acres and was only five per cent contained.
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A fourth fire, the Gavilan Fire broke out on Saturday afternoon, sparking evacuation orders for Lake Matthews. The fire spread quickly to cover 250 acres, and by Saturday night Cal Fire said the forward rate of spread stopped, so evacuation orders were reduced to warnings.
Hundreds of firefighters were dispatched to tackle the blazes as California braces for its hottest weather of the year so far. Already scorching temperatures are set to peak even higher for Nevada, Arizona and California.
Hundreds of firefighters have been dispatched to tackle the blazes (AFP via Getty Images)In some desert areas, temperatures are set to reach 120F during the day, staying above 90F overnight. Leaders issued warnings earlier in the week about fire danger.
"As we get deeper into the summer and vegetation that grew up during the wet spring dries out, we are seeing an uptick in wildfire activity," said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot.
“Heat is definitely a concern out there,” said April Newman of the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department, adding that the blazes were burning through dense, dry brush in rugged terrain.
An aircraft drops fire retardant as firefighters work to control the Gavilan Fire (AFP via Getty Images)More than 110 million people, around a third of Americans, were under extreme heat advisories, watches and warnings on Saturday as temperatures climbed. California's Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth, could reach rare highs on Sunday, July 16.
In response, Death Valley National Park has posted warnings on their website advising people not to hike after 10am local time. Earlier this month a man was found dead in his vehicle in Death Valley National Park.
The 65-year-old from San Diego was found on the morning of July 3, with extreme heat appearing to have caused his death. Initial investigation suggested that heat-related illness may have caused the driver to run off the road.
The highest temperature the previous day was a sweltering 52.5C, with an overnight low of 36.6C. An investigation found the air-conditioning in the vehicle wasn't working, and the driver's window was down - indicating that air conditioning wasn't working when the man was driving.
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