Armies of firefighters were on Friday battling fast-spreading wildfires across the western United States, including one menacing more than 1 000 homes in Nevada’s state capital, officials said.
Major blazes were burning out of control north of Los Angeles and around Carson City, Nevada, which lies just over the California border, as the region’s annual fire season got off to a dramatic start.
The towering flames in the Carson City blaze, the worst in history of the city of 50 000 people, have already charred 14 homes and one business and sent hundreds of people fleeing their homes.
About 1 000 homes were threatened and hundreds of residents fled their homes as the blaze grew further after charring 3 640ha, US Forest Service fire information officer Paddy Hardy said.
”This is a very difficult fire to handle because its behaviour has been unpredictable and temperatures have been very high,” she said.
”It’s tough, because we have suffered an unprecedented drought for the past four years and this stuff is just ready to burn.”
Trees literally exploded, sending flames more than 30m into the air as the fire raced across the rugged countryside near the town, which is the capital of Nevada.
About 1 100 firefighters backed by 13 helicopters and six tanker aircraft were battling the blaze that has already burned 14 houses and one commercial building and even threatened the governor’s mansion.
Near Los Angeles, firemen struggled to regain lost ground after heavy gusts of wind roused flames in the Angeles National Forest that have already consumed more than 5 600ha of tinder-dry vegetation and three houses.
More homes were being evacuated in the region, where more than 1 000 have fled their homes since the blaze erupted on Monday, officials said, adding that the fire was just 36% under control.
A total of 227 people, including 205 young inmates, were forced to flee two youth probation camps in the area early on Friday as the flames spurred by high winds and soaring temperatures advanced, probation officials said.
”The winds are moving so erratically it’s hard to try and predict what’s going to happen,” said fire Captain Dennis Cross.
”How fast the flames are and how long they last depends on how dry the fuel is. With the fuel being real dry up there, the brush and trees burn harder and faster,” he said.
About 10 800ha of land have been blackened by fires in California alone this week.
Among the dozen or so other blazes burning across the region was one that has consumed 1 200ha in the world-famous Yosemite National Park in central California after doubling in size overnight.
Thick smoke obscured its legendary views from tourists in the region, but park spokesperson Scott Gediman said the fire will be allowed to burn itself out as it is good for Yosemite’s ecological system — it will eliminate dead wood and dry grass and allow younger trees to grow. — Sapa-AFP