‘It’s a tornado’: firefighter captures blaze engulfing California town – video

A firefighter battling the rapidly growing Beckwourth Complex wildfire in California recorded dramatic conditions near the small town of Doyle that forced the crew to take shelter inside a vehicle as wind and flames roared outside. The largest wildfire to hit the state this year broke out over the weekend and has so far consumed more than 140 sq miles (362 sq km). The blazes are spreading as extreme temperatures continue to blast the American west

Continue reading...

American west stuck in cycle of ‘heat, drought and fire’, experts warn

Wildfires in several states are burning with worrying ferocity across a tinder-dry landscape

As fires propagate throughout the US west on the heels of record heatwaves, experts are warning that the region is caught in a vicious feedback cycle of extreme heat, drought and fire, all amplified by the climate crisis.

Firefighters are battling blazes from Arizona to Washington state that are burning with a worrying ferocity, while officials say California is already set to outpace last year’s record-breaking fire season.

Continue reading...

Rattlesnakes everywhere: the odd consequences of California’s drought

Snakes, bears and other animals seeking refuge from the drying landscape are increasingly finding their way into urban environments

Len Ramirez stalked through the dried landscape, scanning the ground ahead searching for movement. Called out to an estate in Napa Valley, the owner of Ramirez Rattlesnake Removal company was finishing up his last job of another busy day wrangling, removing and relocating snakes from homes across northern California. He’d found three in just this yard, including one nestled roughly 1,000 yards from the pool.

Rattlesnakes are everywhere these days, he says – on front porches, in potted plants, and under children’s play equipment. “I am busier than I have ever been. Complaints are coming in from all over the state.”

Continue reading...

‘Potentially the worst drought in 1,200 years’: scientists on the scorching US heatwave

Researchers had long forewarned of this crisis and now they’re seeing their studies and models become real life

The heatwave gripping the US west is simultaneously breaking hundreds of temperature records, exacerbating a historic drought and priming the landscape for a summer and fall of extreme wildfire.

Salt Lake City hit a record-breaking 107F (42C), while in Texas and California, power grid operators are asking residents to conserve energy to avoid rolling blackouts and outages. And all this before we’ve even reached the hottest part of the summer.

Continue reading...