Record high temperatures, dry climates, and severe lightning storms have caused a number of fires in California in recent times.

More than 14,000 firefighters are now working to fight the fires, Reuters reports. At present, they benefit from the fact that the winds have slowed down somewhat and that the humidity has increased.

- The weather has really cooperated with us, says Mark Brunton at the fire protection authority Cal Fire, according to Reuters.

"Anything can happen"

Four people are missing and at least seven people have died. Thousands of homes have been destroyed in the fires.

The smoke from the fires has also made the air unhealthy to breathe in parts of northern California.

The two largest fires in the state are now the second and third largest fires in the state's history, respectively. 136,000 people are affected by evacuation orders. A large number of animals have also been evacuated in various parts of California.

"If strong winds come in from unexpected directions, anything can happen," a farmer who evacuated 200 goats in Guerneville told Reuters.

Highest risk of fire

Several previous evacuation orders in areas in Northern California have also begun to be lifted, which has meant that some people have been able to return to their homes.

At the same time, the highest fire risk warning, red flag, still applies in various areas of Northern California, Nevada, Montana and Oregon, reports CNN.

Since mid-August, more than 650 fires have broken out in California. The fires have spread to an area six times the size of New York City. California has several years of severe fire seasons behind it and in just the last three years, the state has been hit by the five largest fires in the state's history.

The weather in California will continue to be hot and dry in the coming days, says SVT's meteorologist Tora Tomasdottir.

- Due to the warm weather, thunderstorms can form locally. It can start new fires when the lightning strikes, the spread of the fires can also worsen as it starts to inflate very much in connection with such showers, she says.