California wildfires grow 62 times in a single night

• California’s Klamath National Forest fire has spread to 62 sq. miles
• At least 12 dwellings have been destroyed.
• Nearby wildlife was seen escaping.

Wildfires in California and Montana have gotten out of control over night, fueled by the hot and windy weather that has forced residents to evacuate and put neighborhoods in danger.

The rapidly spreading McKinney fire in California’s Klamath National Forest, a primarily rural area close to the Oregon state line, went from scorching just over one square mile (about 2.5 square kilometers) on Friday to ripping across 62 square miles (160 square kilometers) by Saturday.

At least 12 dwellings were destroyed by the fire, while nearby wildlife was seen escaping.
The fire is “continuing to grow with erratic winds and thunderstorms in the area and we’re in triple-digit (Fahrenheit) temperatures.” cautioned Caroline Quintanilla, a spokesperson for the Klamath National Forest.

According to the US Forest Service, additional resources are being brought in from other parts of the state to help combat the region’s fires because lightning is expected over the upcoming few days.

On Saturday, as the fire became worse, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency, giving him additional freedom to decide how to handle the catastrophe and how to access federal funding.

According to a statement from the governor’s office, it also permits “firefighting resources from other states to assist California crews in battling the fires”.

In the US, Europe, and Australia, climate breakdown is increasing the chance of wildfires and the area burnt by them through the creation of hot and dry conditions.

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