Gov. Gavin Newsom declares California under a statewide emergency because of the ongoing wildfires and rolling blackouts as a result of the extreme heat wave. At least 27 fires were reported throughout the entire state, including the one caused by lightning from a thunderstorm last Sunday. The high temperatures has also caused a serious strain on California’s energy grid resulting to the rolling outages. Newsom signed the emergency proclamation to prevent the outages and to extend every possible resource to keep the residents safe.
NBC News: California declares state of emergency as it fights fires, extreme weather
Large wildfires burn throughout California calling for state of emergency
According to NBC News, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Tuesday in response to a series of wildfires that have aggravated a stifling heat wave.
At least 27 fires are raging across the state, including some caused by lightning from a rare summer thunderstorm Sunday, according to a map by Cal Fire. The flames have intensified temperatures from a serious heat wave that rolled in over the weekend.
The state has been under the threat of rolling blackouts since Friday as the high temperatures have stretched the state’s energy grid to its limits.
The governor signed an emergency proclamation Monday to prevent rolling blackouts. The order allowed some users and utilities to use “backup energy sources” during peak times.
Huffpost: California Declares Statewide Emergency Amid Fires, Heat Wave And Power Outages
Huffpost accounts that mass power outages, wildfires and record-breaking heat have led to a statewide emergency being declared in California this week.
Rolling blackouts have hit the state since Friday as a heat wave, now in its second week, places extreme strain on the state’s electric grid. Though blackouts have been used by the state in recent years as a wildfire prevention measure, it was the first time in nearly 20 years that the state has resorted to blackouts to conserve its electrical supply.
The power cuts come as firefighters battle more than two dozen large wildfires across the state, many sparked by a remarkable surge in dry lightning strikes, strong winds and triple-digit temperatures. In Death Valley, California, on Sunday, temperatures hit 130 degrees ― if verified, that would be the hottest temperature recorded on Earth since at least 1913.
