World

Wildfires rage in western states as temperatures soar

July 11, 2021 11:18 pm

[Source: BBC]

Wildfires are raging in the west of the United States as the region is hit by a heatwave that has brought record temperatures to several areas.

Communities have been told to evacuate as firefighters struggle to battle the blazes in the extreme conditions.

Two firefighters in Arizona died when their aircraft crashed while responding to a wildfire.

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Meanwhile, Las Vegas matched its all-time temperature high of 47.2C (117F) on Saturday.

It comes just weeks after another dangerous heatwave hit North America, in which hundreds of sudden deaths were recorded, many of them suspected of being heat-related.

The region experienced its hottest June on record, according to the EU’s Earth observation programme.