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San Francisco (AP) — Extreme bikes through the Sierra Nevada Mountains on Saturday as a fast-growing wildfire south of Lake Tahoe jumps over a highway and the weather is approaching a very dangerous wildfire within a few days. We urged cancellation of boarding and an increase in evacuation orders.
According to the report, the Tamarak fire caused by lightning on July 4 exploded overnight, exceeding 32 square miles (82 square kilometers) as of Saturday night. Humboldt Towayabe National Forest.. The flames threatened Markleeville, a small town near the California-Nevada border. According to officials, at least three structures were destroyed, jumping on the freeway and then burning towards Alpine County Airport.
A notice posted on the 103-mile (165 km) Death Ride website has evacuated several communities in the area and ordered all riders to clean up the area. The fire caused thousands of bikers and spectators to get stuck in a small town and race to escape.
Kelly Pennington and her family were camping near the town on Friday, so her husband was able to take part in his ninth ride when they were told to leave. They watched smoke all day long, but were distracted by the rapid spread of the fire.
“It happened so fast,” Pennington said. “We left behind a tent, a hammock, and some food, but we got most of it and pushed our two kids into the car and left.”
Saturday’s ride commemorated the 40th Deslide. Thousands of cyclists gather in the area each year on this ride, passing through three passes in the so-called California Alps. It was canceled when the coronavirus broke out last year.
Paul Burgess, who drove from Los Angeles, said most of the cyclists he met were grateful to avoid the danger of fire.
“They said this was exactly what they said,” Burgess said. “It’s part of some climate change, part of many unburned fuels, low humidity, low fuel moisture levels, and … many parts around the state. There are many like a tinderbox. “
Afternoon winds at 20-30 mph (32-48 kph) fueled the flames as they chewed dry wood and brushes. Meteorologists have predicted very dangerous fire weather in both California and southern Oregon, at least until Monday. There, the largest wildfire in the United States continued to run through dry forests.
Bootleg Fire increased significantly as the area remained dry and windy on Saturday night, but the containment of Inferno more than tripled as firefighters began to gain more control along the western flank. became. However, the fire continued to burn rapidly and dangerously along its south and eastern flanks, and authorities expanded evacuation in most rural areas of lakes and wildlife sanctuaries.
The size of the fire was 453 square miles (1,173 square kilometers), more than 100 square miles larger than the area of New York City.
“This fire is big, moving very fast and progresses 4-5 miles daily,” said incident commander Joe Hassel. “One of the many challenges our firefighters face every day is working in a new country that can always pose new dangers.”
Extremely dry conditions and climate change-related heat waves have hit the area, making it difficult to fight wildfires. Climate change will continue to make the west much warmer and drier, more extreme weather, and more frequent and destructive wildfires over the last three decades.
In southern Oregon, fire brigades have dealt with dangerous and extreme fire conditions, including a huge “cloud of fire” that rises up to 6 miles (10 km) in flames. Bootleg Fire destroyed at least 67 homes and 117 annexes.
A large fire has forced 2,000 people to evacuate, threatening 5,000 buildings, including rural homes and small buildings just north of the California border.
The Tamarak fire sent a large amount of smoke over Lake Tahoe to Nevada.
The National Weather Service has warned that thunderstorms may spread From the California coast to northern Montana On Sunday, and that “new lightning igniter” could be due to the very dry fuel throughout the west.
Firefighters said in July that they were facing typical situations in late summer and autumn.
Due to new fires in Oregon and California or their rapid expansion, the fires were only two of the many fires that burned in the drought-stricken western United States.
According to the National Inter-Ministry Fire Center, there are 70 large-scale fires and multiple fire complexes in the United States, burning nearly 1,659 square miles (4,297 square kilometers). The US Forest Office said there were at least 16 major fires in the Pacific Northwest alone.
Fires in the mountains of northeastern Oregon are also expanding rapidly, with a Saturday size of 17 square miles (44 square kilometers). The Elbow Creek fire began on Thursday, urging evacuation in several small rural communities around the Grande Ronde River, about 30 miles (50 km) southeast of Walla Walla, Washington.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown has launched an emergency fire law to mobilize more firefighters and equipment to help fight the fire.
The Dixie fire, near the location of 2018, the most deadly fire in the United States in recent memory, was contained 5% on Saturday, covering 39 square miles.The fire broke out in Feather River Canyon, northeast of the town of Paradise, California, and its survivors A terrifying fire that killed 85 people I was watching the new flames burning carefully.
Authorities ordered the evacuation of recreational areas in the wilderness and warned that residents of the small communities of Purga and eastern Concor were ready to leave.
“We’re ready,” said veteran Mike Garapo. “We’ve been dealing with mountain fires forever. We know we might not hit here, but we’re ready just in case.”
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Flaccus reported from Portland, Oregon. Associated Press journalists Terry Chea of Belden, CA and Julie Walker of New York City contributed to this report.
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