July 26, 2022

California burns amid US heatwave

 

David McNew/AFP via Getty Images

  • A wildfire near Yosemite National Park fueled by drought and high temperatures has become the most extensive burning in California. [USA Today / Celina Tebor]
  • Since Friday, the Oak fire has burned nearly 17,000 acres and forced 3,000 people to flee their homes. Though the fire slowed on Sunday, thousands of buildings remain at risk. [New York Times / Thomas Fuller]
  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state emergency activating several agencies to respond to the blaze. [CNN / Jason Hanna, Rebekah Riess, Sara Smart, and Andy Rose]
  • The latest fire comes as firefighters battle the nearby Washburn fire, which threatened a grove of giant sequoias and is over 80 percent contained after burning for two weeks. [SF Gate / Amy Graff]
  • As climate change causes warmer temperatures and drier conditions in the West, California wildfires are becoming more destructive and unpredictable. [Associated Press / Noah Berger and Christopher Weber]
  • Meanwhile, 65 million Americans faced extreme heat warnings on Monday. Temperatures are expected to cool in the Northeast but remain dangerously high in parts of the South and Pacific Northwest. [Washington Post / Matthew Cappucci]