A rapidly growing 3,500-acre brush fire near San Bernardino, California has blocked a freeway and set multiple cars on fire. Five homes have been burned and 50 are in danger, fire officials said.
The San Bernardino County Fire Department has declared a "mass casualty incident" and hundreds of firefighters have been dispatched to battle the blaze.
. @SBCOUNTYFIRE says this is mass casualty incident, possible multiple people burned on 15 fwy pic.twitter.com/sGs8ll2t6R
— Tara Wallis (@tarawallis) July 17, 2015
It's unclear how many may be injured, but the fire department stated that it is preparing to handle "multiple civilian burn victims."
A US Forest Service official told KLTA that two minor injuries have been reported.
Comment: Sott.net's prediction: the upward trend in strength and frequency of wildfires will continue to increase. Why?
Increased methane outgassing provides lethal fuel for the fires, while the trigger or spark is the increase in atmospheric electric discharge events (including lightning)...
Things sure be heating up!
See also:
Infographic Displays Increase in Major US Wildfires Since 2001