More than 25,000 people have been urged to evacuate their homes to escape a wildfire that is raging out of control in northern California.
More than 1,400 hectares of grass and forest have been consumed by the fire, which broke out on Tuesday just outside the town of Oroville. Several people have been lightly injured.
California, which has previously been affected by about 20 years of drought, has had two relatively mild years with a lot of rain. But 2024 is looking to be a hot and dry year, which means that the vegetation that has thrived over the past two years is now quickly drying out – creating plenty of fuel for the wildfires.
The conditions in our area are very different this summer than the last two summers, says Garrett Sjolund, fire chief in Butte County.
There is now a fear that the celebration of the US national day on July 4, when many fireworks are traditionally set off, will cause more wildfires.
