Several wildfires have erupted in central Colorado, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate their homes. The Quarry Fire, which grew to 100 acres in just a few hours, prompted mandatory evacuation orders for nearly 600 homes. Another blaze, the Alexander Mountain Fire, quadrupled in size to over 5,000 acres near Loveland, while the Stone Canyon Fire in Boulder County spread to over 1,320 acres. Both fires were 0% contained as of Tuesday night.
In California, the Park Fire has become the fifth largest wildfire in the state’s history, spreading across four northern counties and forcing over 25,000 people to evacuate. The fire has destroyed at least 165 homes, businesses and other structures. The fire allegedly started when Ronnie Dean Stout II pushed his mother’s flaming car into a gully, resulting in him being arrested and charged with reckless arson.
The wildfires in both Colorado and California are part of the 89 large active wildfires currently spreading across the western United States. Climate change has been identified as a major factor in the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires, with hotter weather and persistent heat waves creating dry conditions that are ideal for explosive fires. Weather experts have issued wildfire-related advisories in several states, including California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah and Nevada.
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