Los Angeles

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Wildfire season in the US state of California has already burned through five times the average amount of land for this time of year. Mid-July is usually considered fairly early in the state's wildfire season but according to data wildfires have scorched nearly 220,000 acres already. 

In the last two weeks, the Golden State has endured a record heat wave with temperatures nearing 51 degrees Celsius in Palm Springs and 43 degrees Celsius or upward in the Central Valley, Southern California, and parts of the Bay Area. Meanwhile, the entertainment hub of Las Vegas recorded its fifth straight day of temperatures sizzling at 46.1 degrees Celsius or greater.  

The authorities have had to evacuate parts of Santa Barbara County in southern California as the Lake Fire engulfed more than 34,000 acres over the last few days.

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California Governor Gavin Newsom has already warned the public to be alert as the state heads into what could be a worse-than-expected fire season. 

“Hots are getting a lot hotter; we’re experiencing unprecedented record heat. These heat domes over the entire western United States, over and over and over and over and over again. Record-breaking temperatures, record-breaking experiences. Not just in California, across this country and around the rest of the world," said Newsom. 

Watch | California wildfires: Thousands of acres of land consumed

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Also read | Biker roasted to death in California’s Death Valley as mercury soars over 53ºC

'Difficult year ahead'

Meanwhile, California Fire Director, Joe Tyler, predicted a difficult year ahead due to 'exacerbated' conditions. 

“We are not just in a fire season, but we are in a fire year. Our winds and the recent heat wave have exacerbated the issue, consuming thousands of acres. So we need to be extra cautious," said Tyler. 

Notably, an unprecedented wet winter has coated the Californian landscape with grasses that have quickly dried as the weather turned warmer - creating the perfect and abundant fuel for the brush fires.   

The wildfires started in early June and might increase in intensity as thunderstorms return to the region later this week, according to the forecasters. 

The United States has been reeling under an intense heatwave for the last few weeks now, with about 36 million people or 10 per cent of the country's population, living under excessive heat, as per the National Weather Service (NWS).

(With inputs from agencies)