California Fires Spread in July 4 Weekend Heatwave

AFP/APP

United States: California firefighters battled multiple blazes in record heat on Friday, with a new fire breaking out near Yosemite National Park even as a larger inferno further north came under control.

Temperatures reached up to 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47 degrees Celsius) in the western US state on Friday as the region’s latest heat wave neared its peak. “Dangerous heat is likely to become more widespread in the West today and Saturday,” warned the National Weather Service (NWS). “

Temperatures will be 15-30 degrees above average for much of the West Coast today. Widespread temperature records are expected to be tied or broken.”

The excessive heat coincides with the July 4 weekend, when millions of Americans celebrate Independence Day with fireworks that can ignite blazes in hot, dry conditions.

A fast-moving fire erupted just outside Yosemite National Park late Thursday, prompting large parts of the former Gold Rush town of Mariposa to be evacuated.

By Friday afternoon, the fire had burnt nearly 1,000 acres (405 hectares) and was 15 percent contained, according to Cal Fire. “Winds have calmed, which has helped firefighters make progress overnight,” it said. Some residents were allowed to return to their homes. The fire’s cause was not yet known.

There was also progress in northern California, where earlier this week thousands of people were ordered to evacuate from the Thompson Fire near Oroville. Despite some of the region’s highest temperatures, firefighters reported success in containing the blaze, with some evacuation orders lifted.

Still, fire officials and forecasters warned that the danger is far from over, with high temperatures expected to spread further and peak on Saturday. “The duration of this heat is also concerning as scorching above-average temperatures are forecast to linger into next week,” warned the NWS.

Climate scientists say the western US is undergoing a decades-long aridification as weather patterns change, at least in part because of human-caused global warming.