SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – A record-setting year for wildfires in California has now developed into an immediate threat to life.
California officials issued evacuation orders to residents of Auberry, a central California town, and parts of Fresno and Madera counties Monday. The evacuation orders come after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Saturday ahead of the holiday weekend.
Temperatures reached an all-time high in Los Angeles County on Sunday, as a reading in the Woodland Hills area reached 121 degrees Fahrenheit.
While a record-high of over two million acres in the state have burned in wildfires this year, officials believe the worst may be yet to come.
“It’s a little unnerving because September and October are historically our worst months for fires,” Lynne Tolmachoff, spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said. “It’s usually hot, and the fuels really dry out. And we see more of our wind events.”
The United States Forest Service announced that they will be closing National Forests and campgrounds in central and southern California at the end of the day Monday.
Among the National Forests closing is San Bernardino National Forest, where a fire was started after pyrotechnics were used at a gender-reveal party on Saturday, September 5.
