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

A wildfire in the US state of Colorado has destroyed hundreds of homes – injuring at least seven people. Authorities had earlier called for the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

The state of Colorado in the United States experienced several wildfires in the middle of winter. The cities of Louisville and Superior, 20 miles northwest of Denver, had to be evacuated. About 34,000 residents have been affected. As the wind blew at 169 kilometers per hour, flames entered some parts of the city and destroyed 580 buildings, a hotel and a shopping center. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Belle said at least seven people were injured.

Disaster warning triggered

Belle said there were two fires about half an hour apart. One was removed, the second spread over about 6.5 square meters. The fire spread as more power lines were cut. Governor Jared Police raised the disaster warning that funds would be released soon in the event of a disaster.

The exit was orderly, but vehicles came to a halt on the winding mountain roads. The constantly changing wind, even in the middle and parking lots, carried the flames to surprising places. The smoke was so thick that a bus had to stop and wait for traffic monitoring to get out of the smoke.

Some parts of Colorado enjoyed a very dry and hot autumn. Winter is also very dry. It has not rained properly in Boulder County since summer. However it is expected to snow today.

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 back to 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 increasingly unpredictable extreme weather in the United States in recent months. Both wildfires and storms are intensifying and causing great damage.