Excessive heat throughout the southwest has continued to be an issue sparking wildfires in Arizona that resulted in the death of two firefighters on Saturday. The fires are also threatening California's overburdened power grid while the heatwave and drought continue.
The firefighters were killed when their plane crashed as they were conducting aerial reconnaissance over the Cedar Basin Fire near the Prescott National Forest, according to the Bureau of Land Management, NBC News reported.
While fires have hit the southwest hard, they have also been blazing in the pacific northwest. For example, the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon doubled in size to nearly 77,000 acres on Saturday. The fire has been burning in Fremont-Winema National Forest for five days and is expected to be contained by July 27, according to the Incident Information System.
As a result of the fires, California has been importing power. The state has lost thousands of megawatts, struggling to maintain operating reserves as temperatures soared into triple digits in parts throughout the state.
An executive order was signed on Saturday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, freeing up additional energy capacity for the power grid while the heatwave rages on and fires continue to spread. In addition, the order will allow ships berthed at California ports to use auxiliary engines rather than shore power to relieve pressure on the electricity system.
The largest fire that California is currently dealing with is the Beckwourth Complex Fire, located 45 miles north of Lake Tahoe. Currently, it has shown no signs of slowing down after doubling in size at the start of the weekend, jumping across the border to Nevada.
Starting Saturday, the Beckwourth Complex Fire has spanned more than 60,000 acres after being started by a lightning strike on June 30. The fire is only 9% contained, with nearly 1,800 personnel assigned to the containment efforts.
