Blistering heat wave in West sets records, escalates fire danger
Washington PostSep 02, 2022
On Sat., fire officials in Weed, California, said that a raging wildfire sweeping through the rural community has destroyed at least 100 homes and other buildings, injured at least two, and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.
The blaze, labeled the Mill Fire, began on Fri. and quickly blew through a neighborhood in Weed with a community of 2.6k people, before raging on outside of the town. As of Sat. morning, the fire is reportedly around 20% contained.
This is the latest in a pattern of catastrophic California fires and signals the increasing urgency of climate change. Every-increasing temperature - which isn't unique to just California - is putting everyone at risk; something must be done.
It's easy to dismiss any extreme weather event as a consequence of climate change, but in reality, they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors that have nothing to do with it. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two.