USA: California suffers its biggest fire of the year and fears a dangerous summer

Sylvie Claire / June 20, 2024

Since Saturday, California has been suffering its biggest fire of the year, raising fears of a dangerous summer after two very rainy years that have thickened vegetation now likely to act as fuel, according to specialists.

The Post Fire broke out in rural Gorman, just over an hour's drive northwest of Los Angeles. It burned more than 5,900 hectares in two days and led to the evacuation of 1,200 people, according to the authorities.

As of Monday morning, it was only 8% contained, despite the efforts of 1,150 firefighters, according to the latest bulletin from the authorities. The fire, which spread very rapidly due to strong winds, has mainly consumed vast expanses of scrubland and meadows in this mountainous region. Homes have so far been largely spared.

This vast wildfire, which started in mid-June, could be the harbinger of an intense fire season in California. All the more so as some fifteen smaller fires broke out across the state over the weekend. "Between now and July, we're probably going to have a very active fire season, especially at low altitudes," warned climatologist Daniel Swain of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) on Monday.

The state has experienced "two consecutive wet winters", which has encouraged the "growth" of particularly dense vegetation, he said. As it dries out as summer approaches, this "offers more biomass to burn in potential wildfires ».

Cumulatively, the last two years have been the wettest on record in Los Angeles, according to the US weather service. Early heat waves this season in the American West have raised fears of a rapid drying out of vegetation. 

In early June, seasonal temperature records were set in this part of the country. The mercury reached 44°C in Las Vegas (Nevada) and 50°C in Death Valley (California), unprecedented levels for late spring.

The rest of the USA is also experiencing alarming signs: the central and eastern parts of the country are gearing up for a sweltering heatwave this week, with temperatures abnormally high for June. 

According to scientists, these recurring heat waves are an unequivocal marker of global warming and are set to multiply, last longer and intensify. Specialists also believe that abnormally high temperatures in the pre-summer period may herald a suffocating summer.