A helicopter passes a smoke plume while battling the Lava Fire in Weed, Calif. Firefighters are battling multiple fires in the region following high temperatures and lightning strikes. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Thousands have been forced to flee their homes as wildfires continue to ravage Northern California. The U.S. Forest Service confirmed 27 percent of the Lava Fire has been contained and nearly 24,000 acres burned as of early Thursday.
More than 1,000 firefighters have been battling the blaze, which officials say ignited due to lightning. Extreme heat and dry weathers conditions have made it difficult for the fire to be contained. Firefighters have also had to battle steep and rocky terrain with lava rock fields providing disadvantages for crews to establish efficient fire lines.
Here is a satellite loop of a pyro cumulus cloud over the #LavaFire . This cloud reached up to 38000 feet based off of data from our radar KMAX. pic.twitter.com/wPvncFItGB
— NWS Medford (@NWSMedford) July 1, 2021
The Lava Fire started in Siskiyou County, which forced over 8,000 residents to evacuate their homes. Updates on the fire as well as current evacuation orders can be found online through the Incident Information System provided by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.
Meanwhile, forecasters predict cooler winds are expected to give firefighters the upper hand as they battle another blaze burning northeast of the Lava Fire. The Tennant Fire has burned more than 9,000 acres and is only six percent contained.
Source: One America News Network
