California Wildfires Burn Area Equivalent to Rhode Island State

Wildfires Amid Climate Anomalies
Heatwave and Power Transmission Restrictions Complicate Firefighting Efforts

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] A massive wildfire in Northern California, USA, continues to spread uncontrollably.

According to CNN and other sources on the 21st (local time), the affected area of the California wildfire has reached 660,000 acres. This is equivalent to the size of Rhode Island, the smallest state in the United States.

Wildfire incident in California [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to CNN, large-scale wildfires are burning in about 20 locations. The damage is twice as large as last year's wildfires. The death toll from the wildfires has risen to five, and hundreds of homes have been completely destroyed. It is estimated that more than 60,000 people have evacuated to escape the fires.

The wildfire continues to expand with almost no containment.

This massive wildfire started from lightning strikes. Over three days, a staggering 10,800 lightning strikes hit the California area, causing 367 wildfires. Compared to the usual annual average of about 85,000 lightning strikes in the drought-stricken and dry California region, this is an unusual weather phenomenon.

Additionally, the hot weather, severe enough to trigger a heat advisory, is making firefighting efforts difficult. Amid power shortages leading to rolling blackouts, smoke and fumes from the wildfire are worsening air quality in the area.

Residents who evacuated to shelters to escape the wildfire are facing another threat: the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). California has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 650,000 patients. On the 20th alone, 5,000 new infections were reported.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.