More than 300 fires have been caused by tens of thousands of lightning strikes in California within 72 hours
Within 72 hours, California suffered nearly 11000 lightning strikes, resulting in more than 300 fires, a large number of houses were destroyed and thousands of people were forced to evacuate. According to ABC on the 19th, a large number of lightning strikes caused California firefighters to be busy fighting fires all over the state. California governor Nathan Newsom has declared a state of emergency and called for more personnel and equipment to fight the fire from the ground and the air. “What happened in the past 72 hours has undoubtedly exhausted California’s resources,” Newsom said at a news conference on the 19th. The blaze came as California experienced an unprecedented heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius) every day this week. More than 10849 lightning strikes have occurred in California since August 17, triggering 367 new fires, said Ryan, head of California’s forestry and fire department. Although no deaths have been reported, many are believed to have been injured while trying to escape the fire. (overseas website Zhang Ni)
