The U.S. West is already burning at a dangerous rate

The fire season has just begun, but hundreds of thousands of hectares are already rising in smoke: Western America And From Canada Facing heat wave and continuous drought, thus increasing wildfires and leading officials to water and electricity consumption.

California, Oregon, Arizona, Idaho எதுவும் None of these states in the western United States are currently recovering from the blaze that has devastated 350,000 hectares of vegetation, officials said Monday, July 12. Although 2020 was the worst year in modern California fire history, 2021 may already break that record. State fire officials say the fire has now killed twice as many plants as it did at the same time last year.

The multiplication of the Brazilians

In the north, many fires due to heat and increasing winds engulf plants at full speed. The “Peckworth Complex”, a cluster of numerous fires, has already devastated more than 36,000 hectares, destroying many homes along its path. In the face of the “River Fire” fires, evacuation orders were also issued south of Yosemite National Park, the most famous climbers’ paradise.

The proliferation of these blazes unfortunately pushes those who oppose them to take more and more risks. Two Arizona firefighters were killed over the weekend in a plane crash during a fire surveillance mission.

In neighboring Canada, the picture remained the same. Another province in the grip of heat waves is currently burning over 157,000 hectares in British Columbia. However, officials predict that this will be the case “Less aggression” A village near Vancouver 49.6, more than the heat waves that occurred three weeks ago. When the national record of C was recorded. This episode would have been in June “Almost impossible” Experts estimate that without human-caused global warming, climate change would have increased this phenomenon by at least 150 times.

Call for water and electricity use reduction

Faced with the escalation of these climate disturbances, residents across California were invited to volunteer for local electricity consumption from 4pm to 9pm to unpack their unwanted appliances, cut off air conditioning and stoves. Electricity.

California, the world’s fifth largest economy, but with aging electricity infrastructure, wants to avoid drowning millions of people in darkness again, as it did in previous years. Last week, the governor already urged people to reduce their water use by 15%, for example by reducing the irrigation of lawns and short rainfall.

But summer is likely to last. The American West is really caught in a vicious vicious circle: dry soil and bent vegetation create conditions for an increase in temperature. High mercury, repeated heat waves and low rainfall in places are an excellent combination for fire development.

After peaking at 52 C-54 ° C over the weekend in Death Valley, temperatures began to drop. But for how long? “Fortunately, the hot plates are going to cool down from todayLos Angeles Weather Services tweeted. Enjoy it as long as it lasts, because it will be hot from this weekend. “