The 'Dixie' wildfires raging in Northern California are reportedly increasing in size and are now expected to be the third-worst wildfires ever seen in the state.
The 'Dixie' wildfire is believed to have grown 110 square miles (285 square kilometers) in just one night, making containing the blaze difficult for firecrews. It now spans over 676 square miles (1,751 square kilometers).
A resident told reporters:
"Our whole downtown area is gone. It's just completely devastating. We've lost our home, my business, our whole downtown area is gone. My grandmother's dining room chairs, my great-aunt's bed from Italy. There is a photo I keep visualizing in my mind of my son when he was 2. He's 37 now. At first you think, 'It's OK, I have the negatives.' And then you realize, 'Oh. No. I don't.'"
Capt. Sergio Arellano, a fire spokesman, said of the fires:
"It's wreaking havoc. The winds are kind of changing direction on us every few hours. We're seeing truly frightening fire behaviour. We really are in uncharted territory."
As many as 10,000 homes are currently under threat from the encroaching flames.
The wildfires come on the back of exceptionally hot and dry weather and last-year's California fires which were the worst ever recorded. Further up the Pacific east coast in Canada, there has also been extensive wildfires after the hottest temperatures ever recorded.
Scientists are blaming the freak weather on climate change which increases the likelihood of extreme weather and wildfires.
Huge fires have also been recorded this year in Greece and Turkey which are the worst ever recorded in those countries. Again, exceptionally hot and dry weather has been blamed for starting the fires.
Several people have been reported dead in Turkey and a fireman has been killed in Greece. Large wildfires have also been reported in Italy, Spain and Russia.
[h/t: NPR]
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