California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Tuesday as extreme heat and wildfires took over the state.
Newsom’s declaration comes after about 20 wildfires caused by lightning led to evacuations in several Northern California counties. The fires, known as the Santa Clara Unit Lightning Complex, were situated in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties. Officials ordered evacuations in Alameda, Contra Costa and Stanislaus counties, and issued warnings elsewhere.
In Southern California, firefighters have nearly contained the Apple Fire, which as of Tuesday morning burned more than 33,000 acres. The blaze spans across Riverside and San Bernardino counties, north of Banning. It’s situated mostly in the San Bernardino National Forest.
In neighboring Los Angeles County, the Lake Fire grew to more than 21,000 acres and was 38% contained.
