At least 3,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes in the community of Klamath River, near the Oregon border, as the blaze burns 227,000 acres.
At least four people lost their lives to the largest fire of the year in the state of Californiathe local authorities announced yesterday Tuesday, warning that the number of victims may increase even more.
The fire, christened “McKinney,” has been raging since Friday and remained uncontrolled yesterday Tuesday. Extends to 227,000 acres and is currently threatening the small town of Airica.
“We have four confirmed deaths and this number may changeA spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office in Siskiyou County, which has declared a state of emergency, told AFP.
On Sunday morning, the bodies of two people were found inside a charred car. On Monday, more were found at two residences, the sheriff’s office said via Twitter.
At least 3,000 residents were asked to leave their homes in the community of Klamath River, near the border with the state of Oregon.
“Our purpose is (…) to communicate effectively with people and ask them to comply with evacuation orders“, the spokeswoman emphasized. “Our priority is to protect human life and property».
The cause of the Makini fire is under investigation.
Short break
“When we left, everything was burningresident Sherry Marchetti-Perot told the Los Angeles Times. The fire “it came so fast. We left with only our clothes. We couldn’t breathe or see anything».
As of Sunday evening, firefighters benefited from a brief respite due to improving weather conditions, less high temperatures and sporadic rain.
But optimism remains tempered, as the National Weather Service warns that the fire threat is still high. However, according to the same source, storms were expected yesterday.
“Vegetation in the area is extremely dry and the continued possibility of storms with strong and unpredictable winds could lead to fire rekindling“, warned the California fire service.
Construction machinery has been deployed to protect buildings near Airica, a town of about 8,000.
Persistent drought
Despite the danger, some residents prefer to wait until the last minute before leaving.
“I don’t want to leave too early because I am helping my mother, who is not in good health and cannot move” easily, explained Rafael Franco, a resident who has received a mandatory evacuation order.
“If, at the last moment, I see the fire pass over the top where we are, then if we can we will leave, taking with us what we can and hoping that everything will be all right.”he added.
Margie Lawrence, who rushed out of Klamath River on Friday night, confides that she then returned to her home to collect personal effects. “We got things in case the house burns down, things we wanted, but not enough.”explained.
The wildfire season in California, a state plagued by a long drought, will last several more months. The frequency and severity of forest fires is increasing due to climate change and global warming, according to scientists.
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