Wildfires in the United States: Tens of thousands forced to flee

A wildfire in the US state of Colorado has destroyed hundreds of homes. At least six people were reported injured. Authorities had earlier called for the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

Hundreds of homes have been destroyed by wildfires in the US state of Colorado. “We know about 370 homes have been destroyed in the Sagmore area. There may have been 210 homes destroyed in the old town of Superior,” Boulder County Police Chief Joe Belle told a news conference. Colorado Governor Jared Police declared a state of emergency.

The cause of the fire was the collapse of the power lines

He was “not surprised,” Belle said, referring to “the magnitude and intensity of the fire” about injuries or deaths in densely populated areas. The Colorado Sun newspaper reported that several people were treated for burns, including at least six patients at a hospital. Authorities had earlier called tens of thousands of people in the area to evacuate the blaze. Boulder is a city of more than 100,000 people, about 50 miles[50 km]from Denver, the capital of Colorado.

Wildfires are very rare in the region during the winter. However, like most parts of western America, Colorado has been hit by drought, leaving much of the area vulnerable to wildfires. The power lines, which were toppled by the speed of the wind, started small sparks that spread through the boneless arid countryside of Boulder County. The wind made the task of extinguishing the fire difficult because the planes could not take off. The National Weather Service described the situation as “life threatening”.

Alaska heat record

In the northern state of Alaska, authorities have issued a warning against “ice maketon” – which means “armageddon” (German: catastrophe). By this, Fairbanks refers to the sudden mass of ice blocking the streets of the city.

A few hours ago, a thermometer on Kodiak Island in southern Alaska reached 19.4 degrees Celsius – a historic temperature record for December in the state. It rained more than it had in decades, and when the temperature dropped below zero it froze to the ground.

Strange weather with snow and rain caused traffic problems and evacuations in Washington State and California.

Scientists see the cause of climate change

Scientists say man-made climate change is to blame for the unpredictable extreme weather in the United States in recent months. Both wildfires and storms are intensifying and causing great damage.