Two dead in wildfire outside of Los Angeles during record California heatwave
Another person has been injured, and seven structures were destroyed
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Two people have been killed as a wildfire south of Hemet, California, spread on Monday.
By Tuesday morning the blaze, which has been named the Fairview Fire, had reached 2,400 acres, about three times the size of Central Park.
The two people had been attempting to flee from a canyon when they were caught by the flames, officials said. It’s unknown whether they were related or from the same household.
One other person has been injured, and seven structures have been destroyed, according to CAL FIRE.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for thousands of homes in the area as the fire remains just 5 per contained. Schools in Hemet have been closed today as a result of the fire.
Temperatures in Hemet reached more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) on Monday as California goes through a record-breaking and prolonged heatwave.
As a result, 14 large fires burned over the weekend, with 45 new fires just on Sunday, reports the Associated Press.
Two other people have died in the Mill Fire in northern California.
Temperatures are expected to reach around 108F (42C) again on Tuesday, which can make conditions even more hazardous for firefighters.
Officials at the Fairview Fire also noted that ongoing drought conditions in the state have made the landscape extremely dry and able to burn. California is in the midst of a multi-year drought that has dried out the state’s lands and decimated water supplies.
The western US is also experiencing a decades-long “megadrought” fuelled by the climate crisis that has wreaked havoc for more than 20 years. One recent study found that the past two decades have been the driest period in the region for at least 1,200 years.
And the climate crisis is likely to make heatwaves like the one this week even more common. A UN climate science panel has warmed that as the planet warms 2C above 19th-century temperatures, heatwaves that used to occur every ten years will occur about every other year.
The planet has already warmed about 1.1-1.2C.
This is a breaking story, more to follow
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments