Officials warn that there will not be any good news soon for firefighters fighting wildfires in more than a dozen US states. According to USA Today's statistics, at least 88 wildfires are currently burning in 13 states. While others may have different numbers, most people agree that the Bootleg Fire in Southern Oregon and the Dixie Fire of Northern California are the largest currently.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFirefighters continued to fight the Dixie Fire. It started on July 14, and was merged with another smaller fire Saturday night. There are fears that smoke columns could cause lightning storms, which could further fuel the fire. The fire has already incinerated more that 190,000. The Bootleg Fire, which has burned more than 400,000 acres, was only 42 percent contained by Sunday. In recent weeks, wildfires have ravaged more than 1.4million acres and are spreading rapidly due to dry conditions. This is similar to what we might see in late fall before the rains arrive, Capt. Mitch Matlow is the public information officer for Dixie Fire. The season began earlier, and the fuels became drier. This leads to more unpredictable fire behavior.AdvertisementAdvertisementOregon Gov. Kate Brown, the Oregon Governor, warned that wildfires will become the new normal. Brown stated that wildfires will increase in frequency on CNN's State of the Union. They are more intense, hotter and more difficult to control. They are a sign that climate change is happening, and Brown, a Democrat, said that they should be a rallying call for action on a warming planet. She said that climate change is real and it's hitting us like a hammer in the head. We must act.AdvertisementGovernor. Kate Brown states, "The harsh truth is that we will see more of these wildfires.""Climate change is here, it's real, and it's like a hammer hitting us in the head" #CNNSOTU https://t.co/juJuBblP3n pic.twitter.com/dh2UAW70Wm State of the Union (@CNNSotu) July 25, 2021AdvertisementAs the United States prepares for a heatwave that will bring above-average temperatures, fires are raging. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, temperatures will rise at least 5-10 degrees above average. Millions of Americans will feel temperatures well into the triple digits when rising humidity is considered. According to the Washington Post, the heat wave that occurred early in the week will be the first sign of a building heat dome. It will cover most of the Lower 48 by midweek. Although heat domes are a common feature of summer, their intensity and duration is increasing due to global warming caused by human-induced climate changes.Advertisement
