The fire, known as the Rice Fire, is one of more than 50 large fires and bands burning in parts of the United States so far this year, according to the National Fire Service. The fires have burned a total of more than two million acres in 12 states, the center said. Fires are growing in size and intensity in the Western United States and their seasons are getting longer. Recent research has shown that heat and dryness associated with climate change are factors in increasing larger and stronger fires. The fire in Rices started at a construction site at 2pm on Tuesday, according to authorities. As of Thursday afternoon, it was about 12 percent limited and threatened 250 structures, they said. More than 370 firefighters are working to put out the blaze, and seven of them have been injured, according to Cal Fire, short for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Mary Eldridge, a spokeswoman for the agency’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer unit, said the injuries were related to the heat but that firefighters had since recovered and returned to the line of fire. “Climbing a rock, in direct heat from the sun, without shade. “It’s really hard to stay hydrated,” he said, adding that the fire was burning along a steep cliff that embraces the Yuba River, making access extremely difficult. On Thursday, planes poured water into the hottest spots of the fire in an attempt to put it out, Ms Eldridge said, adding that authorities were considering putting firefighters down the ravine to clear some of the most difficult access areas. . Together with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and the Yumba County Sheriff’s Office, the Cal Fire Nevada-Yumba-Placer Unit is leading the firefighting efforts. On Thursday, the winds were forecast to shift from east to southwest, with gusts of up to 20 miles per hour that could cause smoke, reducing visibility to the ground, Cal Fire said in an incident report released at 7 p.m. μ. As of Wednesday, temperatures had dropped and humidity had risen, helping firefighters extinguish hot areas of fire and build and improve containment lines using hand tools and bulldozers, Cal Fire said, adding that his goal was to prevent the fire to enter neighboring Yuba County. . Andrew Trygg, a spokesman for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, said he hoped some residents would be able to return home by Thursday afternoon. However, he added, “we need to make sure it is safe for everyone to return and that they will not have to evacuate again.” Ms Eldridge, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire, said authorities hoped to contain the blaze by Sunday, but that it would depend on the winds and heat generated by the fire, as well as the ability of firefighters to enter the fire. almost impossible “location. He added: “We are cautiously optimistic.”
