California wildfire: Dozens airlifted from national forest
September 6, 2020
Military helicopters in the US state of California have rescued at least 63 campers who were trapped at a popular reservoir as a wildfire raged nearby.
Madera County Sheriff's Office said Sunday that close to 150 people were seeking assistance at the Mammoth Pool Reservoir in the Sierra National Forest, some 45 miles (70 kilometers) northeast of the city of Fresno.
US broadcaster CNN reported that at least 224 people had been evacuated or rescued from the Mammoth Pool Reservoir area.
"Aircraft are returning to continue rescue operations. Unknown how many more," the fire department said, adding that of those who were rescued, two were severely injured and 10 had moderate injuries.
Read more: Wildfires: Climate change and deforestation increase the global risk
The California National Guard used Chinook helicopters in the operation, National Guard Bureau chief General Daniel Hokanson said.
The Sierra National Forest has been crippled by the Creek Fire, which started on Friday in steep and rugged terrain. The out-of-control blaze has so far spread to 36,000 acres, state organization CalFire said.
Some 450 firefighters are currently battling the fire, along with three helicopters and three air tankers, CNN reported.
The El Dorado fire in southern California, which has burned more than 7,000 acres since it started on Saturday, was caused by pyrotechnics at a "gender reveal party," according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in San Bernardino. That fire, one of the largest in the region, was only 5% contained as of late Sunday.
On Sunday, State Governor Gavin Newsom also issued an emergency proclamation for counties hit by the Creek Fire, El Dorado Fire and the Valley Fire.
Intense heat wave
California has been experiencing record-breaking high temperatures this weekend. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of a heat wave carrying "rare, dangerous and very possibly fatal" temperatures across Southern California.
The National Weather Service recorded a high of 49.4 degrees Celsius (121 degrees Fahrenheit) at Woodland Hills in Los Angeles County, marking the highest official temperature ever recorded. The previous record was 48.3 degrees in July 2006.
It all comes as the state is recovering from mid-August heat wave and devastating wildfires that burned some 1.5 million acres in the last three weeks.
Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday declared a state of emergency. The proclamation allowed power plants to operate beyond normal limits through the three-day weekend, which ends Monday with the Labor Day holiday.
jcg, lc/mm (AFP, Reuters, dpa)