Firefighters in California are struggling to control the violent wildfires that erupted during the extreme heat and forced thousands of residents to flee mountain communities on either end of the state. The Fairview Fire in Southern California covered approximately 37 square miles (95 square kilometers) of Riverside County and is only 5% under control. Two people died on Monday fleeing the flames and at least 11 structures were destroyed. More than 18,000 homes have been threatened by fire fueled by unstable winds, officials said last night.
California fires, thousands evacuated
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To the north, however, in the Sierra Nevada, the Mosquito Fire burned out of control, destroying at least 52 square kilometers and threatening 3,600 homes in the counties of Placer and El Dorado, while blanketing the region in smoke. The flames leapt over the American River, burning structures in the mountain hamlet of Volcanoville and approaching the towns of Foresthill, home to about 1,500 people, and Georgetown, which has a population of 3,000.
California fires, thousands evacuated
edited by Foreign editorial staff
The fire has enough energy and heat to create its own weather patterns, writes the New York Times. Which means that wind conditions and other weather characteristics are dictated by the fire itself and do not follow the forecast for the area. This makes fighting for firefighters more treacherous.