Wildfires are raging within the west of the US because the region is hit by a heatwave that has brought record temperatures to many areas.
Communities are told to evacuate as firefighters struggle to battle the blazes within the extreme conditions.
In California, residents were urged to chop power consumption after interstate power lines were knocked out.
On Saturday, two firefighters in Arizona died when their aircraft crashed while responding to a blaze.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas, Nevada, matched its all-time temperature high of 47.2C (117F) on Saturday.
Firefighters battling the various wildfires within the region say the air is so dry that much of the water dropped by aircraft to quell the flames evaporates before it reaches the bottom .
It comes just weeks after another dangerous heat wave hit North America, during which many sudden deaths were recorded, many of them suspected of being heat-related.
The region experienced its hottest June on record, consistent with the EU’s Earth observation programme.
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Experts say that global climate change is predicted to extend the frequency of utmost weather events, like heat waves. But linking any single event to heating is complicated.
However, a study by climate researchers said the warmth that scorched western Canada and therefore the US at the top of June was “virtually impossible” without global climate change .
Arizona’s Bureau of Land Management paid tribute to the 2 “brave wildland firefighters” who died during a plane crash while performing aerial reconnaissance, command and control over the lightning-caused Cedar Basin Fire.
“Our hearts are heavy tonight with sincere condolences to families, loved ones and firefighters suffering from this tragic aviation accident”, the agency said.
The accident occurred at around noon civil time (19:00 GMT) on Saturday near the tiny community of Wikieup. Further information wasn’t immediately available and therefore the firefighters haven’t been officially named.
In the north of Nevada, near the border with California, people were evacuated from their homes as wildfires triggered by lightning strikes tore through parts of the Sierra Nevada forest region.
One fire, which quite doubled in size between Friday and Saturday, sent up an enormous cloud of smoke and ash which, combined with the dry heat, generated its own lightning, consistent with the l. a. Times.
“As long as it’s this hot and that we have these low humidities, it’s quite hard to inform when and where we’re getting to catch this,” Lisa Cox, information officer for the so-called Beckwourth Complex fires, told the newspaper.
In Oregon, a wildfire fanned by strong winds within the Fremont-Winema National Forest doubled in size to 120 sq miles (311 sq km) on Saturday.
The fire damaged power cables that send electricity to California. Power system operators in California urged customers to conserve electricity by reducing their use of appliances and to stay thermostats higher during the evening when solar power is diminished or not available.
In Idaho, Governor Brad Little last week declared a wildfire emergency and mobilised the state’s National Guard to assist fight fires also sparked by lightning.
Fires have also been burning in Canada’s western province of British Columbia amid unusually hot, dry weather. A whole village was exhausted during a blaze earlier this month after it recorded Canada’s highest ever temperature of 49.6C (121.3F).
The country on Sunday ordered new railway safety rules for areas where there’s a high wildfire risk. The principles would require Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway to require a variety of precautions, including reducing train speeds when there’s an extreme fire risk and removing combustible near tracks.
Millions warned about heat
Several areas in Nevada and California have matched or passed temperature records, consistent with preliminary data by the National Weather Service (NWS), and therefore the extreme heat is predicted to continue.
A temperature of 54.4C (130F) was registered in California’s Death Valley on Friday, matching one recorded in August 2020 – which some argue is the highest temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth. A temperature of 56.7C (134F) was registered within the area in 1913, but this is often contested by climate experts.
Millions of people are under an excessive heat warning, with those affected urged to drink a lot of water and stay in air-conditioned buildings where possible.
Cooling centres – air-conditioned public spaces – are found in some areas to assist residents get relief from the heatwave.