California wildfire spreads to 70,000 acres, the largest of the year
Southern California had an unusually dry winter and spring, and vegetation is already parched, according to extreme climate events researchers
A massive wildfire raging in California for the past three days has ravaged more than 70,000 acres, as hundreds of firefighters fought to bring it under control.
The “Madre Fire” broke out on Wednesday in San Luis Obispo, a rural county in the heart of the US state.
Around 200 people were ordered to evacuate, with dozens of buildings threatened by the flames.
The fire has engulfed 70,800 acres (28,700 hectares) since Wednesday, and more than 600 personnel and 40 fire engines have been deployed to contain it, Cal Fire, the state’s fire service, said in an update on Friday.
It is the largest blaze so far this year in California, which was scarred by wildfires that destroyed swathes of Los Angeles at the start of the year.
This summer is the first since President Donald Trump announced plans to gut federal agencies tasked with fighting climate disasters.
On Friday, California Governor Gavin Newsom said 15 new fires had ignited on federal land in the past 24 hours. He called on the president to prioritise funding for firefighting resources.