Firefighters were battling dozens of fires on Wednesday across California in a historic heatwave, which caused power cuts, forcing the state governor to declare a state of emergency.
State of emergency declared
Charred vegetation, cars and homes ravaged by flames ... These fires are currently devouring at least 48,500 hectares in California, including some near Los Angeles and San Francisco, according to the state fire department. Thousands of people had to be evacuated a few miles north and south of San Francisco, where two of the largest blazes listed by firefighters are rife: the "SCU Lightning Complex" and the "LNU Lighning Complex" which includes several fires. 'being declared since Monday.
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced a state of emergency to "ensure the availability of vital resources to fight" the fires, "exacerbated by the effects of the historic West Coast heat wave and sustained winds."
Nearly 30,000 households without electricity
The state has been experiencing an unprecedented heat wave for a week, with Death Valley recording a record temperature of 54.4 ° C on Sunday, which could become, if approved, the third hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth.
Nearly 30,000 Californian homes are also deprived of power, according to the Poweroutage.us site, many electrical installations suffering from overheating.