In California, an enormous wildfire is roaring
A massive and destructive wildfire is spreading across the US states of California and Nevada, causing extreme fire behavior and creating hazardous conditions for firefighters. Known as the ‘York Fire’, it has already consumed approximately 80,000 acres as of Tuesday, making it the largest fire in California this year. The blaze originated in the New York Mountain Range of California’s Mojave National Preserve on July 28 and has extended into Nevada due to strong winds and high temperatures.
Efforts to contain the fire have made some progress, with firefighters achieving 23% containment by Tuesday morning. To assess the size and activity of the fire, an infrared flight was conducted on Monday night, as reported by the National Parks Service.
The fire’s intensity has led to the formation of fire whirls, also known as fire tornadoes—a phenomenon where a vortex of flames and smoke develops due to the combination of intense heat and turbulent winds. These fire whirls can be unpredictable and challenging to handle, similar to tornadoes, as they can change direction suddenly.
The situation remains critical as 64 active large fires are currently burning across nine states, including 12 new large fires reported on Sunday. The National Interagency Fire Center has deployed over 11,500 wildland firefighters and other personnel to combat these wildfires. So far, approximately 1.1 million acres have been ravaged by fires across the United States in 2023, based on data from the National Interagency Fire Center.
