California wildfires burn 1 mn acre so far in 2024; heatwave raises risk

The total acres burned in California this year surpassed a million as spiking temperatures on Tuesday added to the challenges facing firefighters struggling to contain a stubborn blaze in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles that flared up over the weekend.

Evacuation orders were expanded again on Monday for remote communities northeast of Los Angeles as the Line Fire that has been burning for nearly a month spread over nearly 176 square kilometres of the San Bernardino Mountains and containment dropped from 83 per cent to 76 per cent.

"The dry vegetation, steep slopes and wind aligned ... to create conditions for the rapid fire spread," according to a statement late on Monday from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

The risk of wildfires increased across California as an autumn heatwave scorched much of the state. Some inland areas could see temperatures up to 20 degrees above average for this time of year, according to the National Weather ...