FOTO// Dixie Fire devine al doilea cel mai mare incendiu din istoria Californiei. Imaginile disperării
Daniela Balan
Uriașul incendiu de vegetație din California, format din sute de focare, s-a extins și a devenit al doilea cel mai mare din istoria acestui stat. Dixie Fire, așa cum este numit, a mistuit până acum o jumătate de milion de acri de teren. Flăcările au distrus un oraș întreg. În Greenville nu a mai rămas nimic verde.
Autorităţile continuă să nu aibă informaţii despre trei persoane din Greenville, date dispărute. De asemenea, trei pompieri au fost răniţi în timpul operaţiunilor, desfășurate pe trasee abrupte.
Mii de locuitori au fugit din zonă, mulţi refugiindu-se în corturi și neştiind dacă locuinţele lor au rezistat sau nu în faţa flăcărilor. Însă aproximativ 370 de structuri (case şi alte clădiri) au fost deja distruse.
Cu toate acestea, în ciuda ordinelor repetate de evacuare din partea autorităţilor, unii insistă să lupte singuri împotriva incendiului.
Ce a declanșat uriașul incendiu
Focul a început să se extindă la jumătatea lunii iulie, alimentat de căldura înăbuşitoare, seceta pronunțată şi rafalele de vânt. Vremea mai blândă din acest week-end a adus un oarecare răgaz celor 5.000 de pompieri care se luptă zi şi noapte cu flăcările. „Terenul de bătălie” este deja mai mare decât oraşul Los Angeles.
De la mijlocul săptămânii, sunt așteptate din nou temperaturi ridicate, iar pompierii estimează că incendiul declanşat pe 13 iulie nu va fi stins definitiv până cel puțin în data de 20 august.
Potrivit unei anchete preliminare, incendiul a fost declanşat de căderea unui copac pe un cablu electric. Este vorba de un cablu ce ţine de linia de alimentare Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG & E), un operator privat, deja vinovat că a provocat „Camp Fire”, un alt incendiu care aproape a şters de pe hartă oraşul Paradise şi în care şi-au pierdut viaţa 86 de persoane în 2018.
In this photo combination, a before and after series shows residents drinking and listening to country music while ignoring a mandatory evacuation order in front of their home before it burned on July 23, 2021 (above) and after it burned (below) in Greenville, California on August 7, 2021. The monstrous Dixie Fire in northern California has grown to become the second-largest wildfire in state history, authorities, with three people reported missing and thousands fleeing the advancing flames. As of Sunday, the fire had destroyed 463,477 acres (187,562 hectares), up from the previous day’s 447,723 acres. It now covers an area larger than Los Angeles.,Image: 626131191, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
In this photo combination, a before and after series shows downtown Greenville, California before it burned on July 23, 2021 (above) and the day it burned (below) on August 4, 2021 during the Dixie fire. The monstrous Dixie Fire in northern California has grown to become the second-largest wildfire in state history, authorities, with three people reported missing and thousands fleeing the advancing flames. As of Sunday, the fire had destroyed 463,477 acres (187,562 hectares), up from the previous day’s 447,723 acres. It now covers an area larger than Los Angeles.,Image: 626131201, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
Firefighters and medical personnel rush Don Crail (C), 72, into an ambulance for a medical issue in Greenville, California on August 7, 2021. . Firefighters and medical personnel rush Don Crail, 72, into an ambulance for a medical issue in Greenville, California on August 07, 2021. Crail lost his home in Greenville and was staying at a friendÕs ranch that survived the fire. Don Crail (C), whose home burned down, is rushed into an ambulance for a medical issue in Greenville, California on August 7, 2021. Crail lost his home in Greenville and was staying at a friend’s ranch that survived the fire. The Dixie Fire has now ravaged 446,723 acres in four counties, up from the previous day’s 434,813. That area is larger than Los Angeles – and has surpassed the sweep of the vast Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon.,Image: 626023838, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
Volunteer firefighter Jarret LePage waters down a hot spot on his neighborÕs property during the Dixie fire in Greenville, California on August 7, 2021. LePage helped protect both his and his neighbor’s houses in Greenville. The Dixie Fire has now ravaged 446,723 acres in four counties, up from the previous day’s 434,813. That area is larger than Los Angeles – and has surpassed the sweep of the vast Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon.,Image: 626024000, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
SUMMERVILLE, CA – AUGUST 07: Kelly Norberg chokes up as he describes fleeing the Dixie Fire while at an evacuation center on August 7, 2021 in Summerville, California. Reports state that the Dixie Fire has burned 447, 723 acres and as of August 7, 2021 is only 21% contained. Maranie R. Staab,Image: 626053976, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
An American flag is placed on a burned fire engine at a burned fire station in downtown Greenville, California on August 7, 2021. The Dixie Fire has now ravaged 446,723 acres in four counties, up from the previous day’s 434,813. That area is larger than Los Angeles – and has surpassed the sweep of the vast Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon.,Image: 626025740, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
Evacuee Jim Cabral from Westwood, a small community east of Lake Amador comforts his cat Jeff, as they wait for an all clear from authorities to return home while sheltering at the Lassen County run evacuation center at the Lassen High School in Susanville, California during the Dixie fire on August 7, 2021. Photo by /UPI,Image: 625996604, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
In this photo combination, a before and after series shows (Above L) a gas station market before it burned on July 23, 2021 and (Bottom L) while it burned on August 4, 2021 during the Dixie fire in Greenville, California, and (Above R) a home is seen burning on July 24, 2021 and (Bottom R) the remains are seen two days later on July 26, 2021 during the Dixie fire in the Indian Falls neighborhood of unincorporated Plumas County. The monstrous Dixie Fire in northern California has grown to become the second-largest wildfire in state history, authorities, with three people reported missing and thousands fleeing the advancing flames. As of Sunday, the fire had destroyed 463,477 acres (187,562 hectares), up from the previous day’s 447,723 acres. It now covers an area larger than Los Angeles.,Image: 626159082, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
SUMMERVILLE, CA – AUGUST 07: Jerry Blankenship sits amidst personal belongings and embraces her dog while at a Dixie Fire evacuation center on August 7, 2021 in Summerville, California. The Dixie Fire is reported to have burned 447, 723 acres and as of August 7, 2021 is only 21% contained. Maranie R. Staab,Image: 626053773, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
A deer wanders through a burned property in heavy smoke during the Dixie fire in Greenville, California on August 6, 2021. A huge wildfire tearing through northern California became the third-largest in the state’s history August 6, 2021, and looked set to continue growing. The Dixie Fire, which this week razed the Gold Rush town of Greenville, has torched more than 1,700 square kilometers (650 square miles) since it erupted in mid-July.,Image: 625889202, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
NO FILM, NO VIDEO, NO TV, NO DOCUMENTARY – A home burns on Highway 89 south of Greenville, California, near Forgay Road during the Dixie fire on August 5, 2021.,Image: 626049602, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
A door stands among the smoky rubble in Greenville, CA, on August 6, 2021. The town was destroyed by the Dixie Fire on August 4.,Image: 626029725, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
SUMMERVILLE, CA – AUGUST 07: Regina Rutledge begins to cry as she describes fleeing the Dixie Fire at an evacuation center on August 7, 2021 in Summerville, California. Ignited on July 7, 2021 reports state that the Dixie Fire has burned 447,723 acres and is only 21% contained. Maranie R. Staab,Image: 626053478, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
SUMMERVILLE, CA – AUGUST 07: Ted Engvall sleeps in the back of his vehicle at an evacuation center on August 7, 2021 in Summerville, California. According to reports, the Dixie Fire remains only 21% contained and has grown to 447,723 acres. Maranie R. Staab,Image: 626053450, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia
