8 Sep
Hundreds of wildfires have caused the worst recorded damage to the western US state of California.
The fires have scorched about 8,000 square kilometers this year -- the largest on record. The total area is nearly four times the size of Metropolitan Tokyo.
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared an emergency for all parts of the state on August 18.
The Associated Press says California has seen 900 wildfires since August 15, many of them started by thousands of lightning strikes.
Dry, hot weather is also fueling the flames. The temperature hit 49 degrees Celsius in Los Angeles on Sunday.
On Monday, officials in the LA suburbs warned the situation could become deadly over the next three days, and urged people to evacuate, saying the fires could spread to residential areas.
The blazes have already claimed the lives of eight people and destroyed more than 3,300 structures.
More than 200 people in northern California were airlifted by helicopter on Saturday, after the flames trapped them in a wooded area near a popular reservoir.
NHK
