As well as destruction of land and life
https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2017/07/hundreds-of-bushfires-are-barrelling-through-... Quote:Hundreds Of Bushfires Are Barrelling Through The Western US And Canada
Bushfires are tearing across regions in the western US and Canada, forcing over 15,000 residents to flee their homes. Hot, dry and windy conditions are fuelling the fires, many of which are expected to grow over the coming days. Discouragingly, bushfire season has only just begun.
A firefighter sprays water as flames from a bushfire consume a residence near Oroville, California. (Image: AP/Noah Berger)
It was a rough weekend in parts of Western Canada and the United States as hundreds of blazes swept through parts of British Columbia, California, Colorado and Arizona. Following an unusually wet spring, the conditions in these areas are now ripe for bushfires, and crews are bracing themselves for what could be a very long and arduous fire season.
In California, bushfires forced nearly 8000 people from their homes, half of whom live near the grassy foothills of the Sierra Nevada, about 100km north of Sacramento. Bushfires are also sweeping through an area just southeast of Oroville, where earlier this year heavy rains threatened to topple the town's iconic dam, and forced the evacuation of 200,000 residents. "It leaves you feeling like you can't catch a break," said evacuated Oroville resident Sharon Reitan in an interview with the Associated Press.
The fire near Oroville is one of 14 currently sweeping through California. Dozens of structures have been destroyed so far (with more losses expected), and some 5000 firefighters have been dispatched to tackle the blazes. Fires were also reported in the counties of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Outside of California, bushfires forced the evacuation of hundreds in Breckenridge, Colorado, and evacuation orders were issued for the entire town of Dudleyville near Phoenix, Arizona.
Similar scenes played out in British Columbia, but at a far greater scale. The Western Canadian province is currently battling 220 blazes covering a land base of nearly 24,000 hectares. Over 100 different fires started on Saturday alone, and fire crews are now struggling to contain the largest blazes. The biggest of the fires is located near Ashcroft, just south of Cache Creek. Dozens of buildings have been destroyed, and both communities were forced to evacuate.
On Sunday, the province's premier, Christy Clark, announced a state of emergency as 7000 residents were forced to flee their homes. Experts say the fires are likely to keep spreading, and the number of evacuations is expected to rise. In response, Clark is sending $US100 million ($131 million) to the Canadian Red Cross to help displaced families (personal donations to the Red Cross can be made here).
"We are in many ways at the beginning of the worst part of the fire season," said Clark during a press conference. "We watch the weather, we watch the wind, and we pray for rain — but our prayers aren't always answered on these things and so we need to be there to support people in the meantime."
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