Wildfires have erupted in southern California and Maui, Hawaii.
According to California forest and fire authorities on the 5th (local time), the wildfire that started on the 1st around 3:44 p.m. in the area of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties has been spreading for five days as of today.
This wildfire, named the "Gifford Fire," had burned 334㎢ as of 9:42 a.m. today, which is more than half the area of Seoul (605.2k㎡).
Although about 1,000 firefighters have been deployed, the containment rate is only about 7%. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and it is suspected that at least four small wildfires that occurred in the vicinity of the highway (Route 166) merged and turned into a large wildfire.
The area where the wildfire is fierce is located about 105㎞ northwest of downtown Santa Barbara and about 241㎞ northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Evacuation orders have been issued for residential areas close to the fire.
A wildfire also broke out on Maui, Hawaii, a popular tourist destination, the previous day. As a result, part of the highway in the western Ka'anapali area of Maui was temporarily closed, and evacuation orders and alerts were issued in the area. Currently, the evacuation orders have been lifted, and road access has resumed.
A major wildfire also occurred on Maui exactly two years ago in August 2023. This resulted in 102 deaths and the destruction of over 2,200 dwellings.