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Several Wildfires Stretching Thousands Of Acres Tearing Through California

The so-called

(Screenshot - CNBC/YouTube)

Varun Hukeri General Assignment & Analysis Reporter
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Several large wildfires erupted in northern California this week and are burning around 32,000 acres of land as a historic heat wave continues to ravage the northwestern United States.

The latest fires are among many that have emerged across the state in recent days and are largely fueled by the hot weather and dry conditions caused by the ongoing heat wave, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The combination of heat from the fires and surrounding weather conditions, including heavy winds, may have also helped create multiple dense plume clouds.

The lightning-sparked Lava fire in Siskiyou County, near the Oregon border, had grown to nearly 20,000 acres Thursday morning as temperatures in the county reached the upper 90s. The fire has forced the evacuation of at least 8,000 residents according to the Los Angeles Times. (RELATED: Wildfires Spread Through California And Arizona As Drought Continues)

More than 1,200 fire personnel were dispatched this week to counter the fire, which began Saturday, according to the U.S. Forest Service. But the fire was reported to be only 25% contained Thursday.

The Salt fire in Shasta County was initially estimated at 5 acres but by Thursday morning had swelled to 2,800 acres with no containment, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The U.S. Forest Service as of Thursday had not listed any information regarding its origins or the response.

The lightning-sparked Tennant fire broke out on the eastern side of Klamath National Forest in Oregon but crossed into northern California earlier this week, covering roughly 9,400 acres, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The fire broke out Monday afternoon and is only 6% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.