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Friday 12 July 2024
Wildfire risk rises as Western states dry out amid protracted heat wave

ately threatened but some or greater. The tempera- ing cold water, bus passes 2-year-old and a baby in
Continued from Front residents were told to pre- ture hit 115 shortly before 1 and rides to cooling sta- separate incidents, and in
pare for possible evacu- p.m. at Harry Reid Interna- tions to homeless people Nebraska, Omaha police
"Our winds and the recent ations. The 40 mph (64 tional Airport, and it could and anyone else in need. say a boy died after being
heat wave have exacer- kph) wind speeds were get hotter still before the In California, officials in the left in an SUV.
bated the issue, consuming a concern for firefight- sun goes down. It extends Silicon Valley county of The U.S. heat wave came
thousands of acres. So we ers, Maui Fire Department a newly broken record set Santa Clara are investigat- as the global tempera-
need to be extra cautious." ture in June was a record
California crews working warm for the 13th straight
in scorching temperatures month and marked the
and single-digit humid- 12th straight month that
ity were battling numerous the world was 1.5 degrees
wildfires Thursday, includ- Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahr-
ing a stubborn 53-square- enheit) warmer than pre-in-
mile (137-square-kilometer) dustrial times, the European
blaze that prompted evac- climate service Coperni-
uation orders for about 200 cus said. Most of this heat,
homes in the mountains trapped by human-caused
of Santa Barbara County climate change, is from
northwest of Los Angeles. It long-term warming from
was 16% contained. greenhouse gases emitted
California's fires began in by the burning of coal, oil
earnest in early June, fol- and natural gas, scientists
lowing back-to-back wet say.
winters that pulled the "Climate change is real,"
state out of drought but California Gov. Gavin New-
spawned abundant grass- som said at a news confer-
es that have since dried ence Wednesday. "Those
out. A June blitz of light- extremes are here present
ning ignited some of the every day in the great state
fires, a risk that may return of California."
with thunderstorms in the Si- Newsom said the state was
erra Nevada this weekend, prepared to fight the con-
forecasters said. flagrations.
Fire crews in Oregon con- Cal Fire uses 1,100 cameras
tinued Thursday to fight the and artificial intelligence
Larch Creek Fire, which has to spot fires. The agency
grown to 16.6 square miles also has the largest fire sup-
(43 square kilometers) of pression aircraft fleet in the
grassy areas since Tues- Mark Paulson, a Public Response and Code Enforcement officer, checks on Deb Billet, 66, before world, according to New-
calling an ambulance to take her to a hospital for heat-related symptoms Wednesday, July 10,
day. Lower temperatures 2024, in Henderson, Nev. som. This year, the state will
and calming winds were Associated Press add 24 privately owned
helping their efforts but planes to its force and will
the local fire danger level begin using seven ex-mil-
remained extreme. One itary planes provided by
firefighter was treated for spokesperson Chris Stankis Wednesday when Las Ve- ing 19 potential heat-relat- the federal government.
heat-related injuries. said. "The winds are a little gas reached 118 F (47.8 C), ed deaths, including three The state has added 3,000
Officials in Oregon and stronger than our typical toppling the old record of homeless individuals, the firefighters since 2018 and
Washington state have tradewinds," he said. four consecutive days set in county's Medical Examiner- is committed to hiring an
imposed burn bans and More than 63 million people July 2005, according to the Coroner's Office said in a additional 2,400 in the next
other restrictions to avoid around the U.S. remained National Weather Service. statement Thursday. five years.
sparks. Campfires, operat- under heat alerts Thursday, Forecasters called it an un- The Oregon state medical In southern New Mexico,
ing chainsaws and target a significant reduction from precedented heat wave, examiner reported Thurs- heavy rain produced flash
shooting are prohibited in earlier this week. even for desert standards. day four new potentially flooding on top of wildfire
most areas. Central Ore- The National Weather Serv- Meteorologist Morgan heat-related deaths, bring- burn scars for the second
gon limits use of chainsaws ice said the combination of Stessman said the Las Ve- ing to 14 the total number day in a row Wednesday,
and grass mowing to cer- power outages from Hurri- gas area has been under of deaths since the heat forcing an estimated 1,000
tain hours, followed by a cane Beryl and heat indices an excessive heat warn- wave began. Two were residents to flee their homes
one-hour fire watch. up to 106 degrees Fahren- ing on three separate oc- from Washington County, in Ruidoso, city spokesper-
In Hawaii, Haleakala Na- heit (41 Celsius) prompted casions this year, totaling including the second wom- son Kerry Gladden said.
tional Park on Maui was heat advisories across parts about 12 days of danger- an, and the other two were She said emergency re-
closed as firefighters bat- of southeast Texas. In West- ous heat with little relief from Jackson and Linn sponders had conducted
tled a blaze on the slopes ern states, where dozens of even after the sun goes counties. more than 30 water res-
of a mountain. Visitors in locations tied or broke heat down. The city also has bro- Heat was also blamed for cues but there were no im-
more than 150 vehicles that records since the week- ken 18 heat records since a motorcyclist's death last mediate reports of deaths
had gone up Wednesday end, torrid conditions were June 1, well before the offi- weekend in Death Valley or serious injuries. She said
for the famous sunset views expected through Friday cial start of summer, includ- National Park and the Na- most bridges over rivers
were not able to descend before some cooling. ing an all-time high of 120 F tional Park Service is inves- and streams were closed,
until around 4 a.m. Thurs- Las Vegas on Thursday sim- (48.8 C) set on Sunday. tigating the third death of as was U.S. Highway 70 —
day because the narrow mered into a record sixth In Henderson, Nevada, of- a Grand Canyon hiker in one of the main arteries
roads were blocked by fire consecutive day of tem- ficers from the Office of recent weeks. into town — while crews re-
crews. peratures at 115 degrees Public Response drove Arizona authorities are in- moved debris.q
No homes were immedi- Fahrenheit (46.1 Celsius) around Wednesday offer- vestigating deaths of a