高溫襲擊下、加州海灘湧入大批人潮。(湯森路透)
乾燥高溫少雨的氣候,多年讓加州吃足了苦頭,每每都在夏秋兩季發生嚴重森林大火,造成人員傷亡和鉅額財產損失,如今在面對疫情襲來之際,加州再次發生野火,同時伴隨著熱浪、讓州政府和警消疲於奔命。
《路透》(Reuters)報導,面對境內出現大面積森林野火,加州州長紐森(Gavin Newsom)7日宣布緊急狀態,包含聖伯納迪諾(San Bernardino)、聖地牙哥(San Diego)、佛雷斯諾(Fresno)等多個郡受到影響。
Military helicopters airlifted 207 people trapped in California’s Sierra National Forest to safety.
— TRT World (@trtworld) September 7, 2020
The fires strained the state’s electrical grid, threatening power outages that could potentially affect millions of people pic.twitter.com/f3tXrQGmSw
截至7日為止,這場森林大火、共造成加州境內1萬8200多公頃林地毀壞、3300棟建築毀壞,並有8人因火災喪命。
州長紐森也提到、位於塞拉國家森林公園(Sierra National Forest)內的猛獁池水庫(Mammoth Pool Reservoir),日前有207名露營遊客,因為被迅速擴散的森林大火阻斷唯一聯外道路,州政府委請國民兵派遣直升機,以空運方式將受困人員逐一救出。
除了大火威脅,隨之而來的還有熱浪。洛杉磯市伍德蘭希爾斯(Woodland Hills)地區7日上午測得華氏121度(攝氏49.44度)的高溫,打破當地自2006年以來的紀錄;聖地牙哥的埃斯孔迪多(Escondido)也測出華氏115度(攝氏46.1度),打破該地1909年至今的最高溫紀錄。
As a record-breaking heat wave bears down on California, more than 40 wildfires are burning across the state.
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) September 6, 2020
Our fire map has the latest on each fire including containment numbers, acres burned and evacuation orders. https://t.co/BkzkiZsp5R
Power outages were avoided Friday and Saturday due in large part to individual conservation efforts, but even more conservation efforts are needed today!
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) September 6, 2020
Do your part to reduce energy use & help avoid outages. https://t.co/j4p2wm6Qa3 pic.twitter.com/aaZB8fKnos
室外不斷飆高溫、加上政府又呼籲民眾減少外出,很快地就讓加州電力系統面臨沉重負擔,6日晚間、光是洛杉磯郡就出現1萬多戶斷電的窘境。
為避免電力全面崩潰,加州電力調度中心(California ISO)提醒用戶要節約用電,並向鄰居奧勒崗州(Oregon)電廠借電,以備不時之需。