Wildfire Destroys Hillside Homes in Southern California

August 7 :
Firefighters were able to put out a wind-driven wildfire on August 6 that had evacuated residents and destroyed multiple homes on a hillside above San Bernardino, a city in southern California. The rapid-fire brush fire jumped into upscale mansions overlooking the 220,000-person metropolis about 55 miles (88 km) east of Los Angeles, according to footage from local TV station KTLA 5. At least five homes were engulfed in flames.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the fire started on August 5 and eventually burnt 100 acres (40 hectares) before being mostly suppressed. An investigation into the fire's origin was underway.

The most populous U.S. state is seeing optimal fire conditions due to above-average temperatures and an abundance of vegetation following a wet winter and spring. Scientists agree that heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of climate change.
A different blaze, this one in the wooded mountains to the north of Sacramento, has spread over two counties and covered more ground than Los Angeles itself, becoming the fourth biggest fire in California history.

The Park fire began on August 4 and has since spread over 12,000 acres, forcing further residents of the Mill Creek area to evacuate their homes, according to Cal Fire. Around 640 homes and other structures have been destroyed in the conflagration, which has been exacerbated by tinder-dry trees, high temperatures, and steep valleys. As of the morning of August 6th, the fire had burned 414,042 acres and was 34% controlled.