(Los Angeles) Environ 19 000 personnes ont reçu l’ordre d’évacuer leur logement à cause d’importants incendies samedi soir dans le Colorado, État américain où les feux et la sécheresse constituent des fléaux récurrents.
Publié hier à 12h20
Les incendies semblaient moins menaçants dimanche matin mais plus de 1600 habitants restaient sous ordre d’évacuation, selon les autorités de Boulder, ville de plus de 100 000 habitants située à une cinquantaine de kilomètres de Denver, la capitale de l’État.
PHOTO HELEN H. RICHARDSON, THE DENVER POST VIA AP
Un avion-citerne déverse de l’eau sur un incendie qui fait rage à Boulder, le 26 mars.
Le feu est désormais « contenu à 21 % », a précisé Mike Smith, un responsable des pompiers, lors d’une conférence de presse, ajoutant qu’aucun blessé n’était pour l’heure à déplorer et qu’aucun bâtiment n’avait été détruit.
Mais avec de tels incendies bien avant le début de l’été, plus propice aux flammes, « nous sommes un peu inquiets pour la saison à venir », a-t-il déclaré.
« Les conditions [météorologiques] Unusually warm, dry and windy for this season,” UCLA meteorologist Daniel Swain noted on Twitter Saturday.
According to the US Weather Service (NWS) in Boulder, temperatures are still expected on Sunday to be close to records, but less severe than the day before.
In December, massive fires destroyed entire neighborhoods in this part of Colorado, which is an unusual phenomenon during the winter. Hundreds of homes ignited with smoke, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee.
PHOTO ALICIA MILLER, Associated Press Archives
This house in Louisville was destroyed by a fire in December 2021.
The fires, which have been frequent in this part of the United States, have been particularly devastating in recent years, with California and Oregon suffering unprecedented fires.
Like much of the American West, Colorado, an already arid state, has been experiencing exceptional drought for several years.
With global warming, the intensity and frequency of droughts and heat waves are likely to increase, continuing to create ideal conditions for wildfires or bushfires.
Lucas Tremblay is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. He focuses on delivering clear, accurate reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and issues affecting their communities. Lucas is committed to presenting relevant stories in a straightforward and accessible way, providing balanced coverage that keeps readers connected to the latest developments.