Wildfire explodes amid high winds in California

The Tamarack Fire in northern California, one of many wildfires raging in a dozen US states, ballooned over the weekend. Ignited by lighting and fanned by strong winds, it has already scorched more than 60 square miles. The inferno is threatening several mountain towns in Alpine County in the Sierra Nevada, forcing the evacuation of some 700 people. More than a thousand firefighters are battling the blaze.

Heatwaves and extremely dry conditions, fuelled by the climate crisis, have made wildfires harder and more dangerous to control.