The United States Forest Service said today it is dealing with several conflagrations across the U.S. West Coast in crisis mode, as firefighters were fully deployed to douse the flames.
As tens of thousands of Americans were evacuated to safety, the flames are threatening thousands of homes and entire towns.
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The roughly 21,000 federal firefighters working day and night to douse the flames are still not enough, since some 100 wildfires are burning in 14 states, with some even affecting western Canada.
One of the conflagrations, dubbed the Dixie Fire in Northern California, had ravaged more than 800 square miles, or well over 2,000 square kilometres, and continued to threaten more than a dozen rural and forest communities.
While firefighters are determined they will not call it quits, tens of thousands of residents are caught between a rock and a hard place, since they have to choose between fleeing right away or saving their homes until the situation further deteriorates.
Despite firefighters dousing the flames, smoke from the blazes grew so thick this morning as it hovered in the sky.
Gusts, scorching hot and dry weather and low humidity are exacerbating the fire conditions as flames devoured brush, short grass and timber.
Parts of Europe are also affected by wildfires. In Greece, a massive wildfire has decimated forests and homes close by, and is still reportedly smouldering.
Climate change has made the weather on earth warmer and drier in the past 30 years. Scientists speculate the weather will become more extreme and wildfires will be more prevalent and destructive, should climate change continue to worsen.
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