By Liya Cui and Brendan O’Brien
(Reuters) – Tens of millions of Americans living in the U.S. West will face scorching hot temperatures on Tuesday as wind gusts and dry conditions were stoking wildfires, prompting evacuations across the already parched region.
More than 20 million people living in a large swath of the United States – from the southwest north through Nevada and Idaho and into Montana – will spend the next two days under excessive heat advisories before milder temperatures arrive on Friday, the National Weather Service said.
Temperatures in Phoenix and Las Vegas were to reach past 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 C) by midday on Tuesday while 1,200 miles to the north in Billings, Montana, the high was forecast to be 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 C), the service said.
“Be heat smart and drink plenty of water, take frequent breaks, and check-in on family and/or neighbors that don’t have a means of cooling off,” the National Weather Service in Montana said on X.
The heatwave along with persist windy and dry conditions across the drought-stricken portions of the region amplifies the threat of wildfires that have sparked over the last few days.
The Maria wildfire started early on Tuesday in Calaveras County, California, and has grown to 45 acres, prompting evacuation orders for the area, the county’s office of emergency services said. It was unclear how many households were evacuated.
Meanwhile, 20 other fires were burning more than 100,000 acres (405 square kilometers) throughout the state, says the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Three of the fires were 98% contained as of Tuesday morning.
The California wildfires were some of the 69 active large fires burning in the West, including 24 in Oregon and 9 in Arizona, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
“If you live near where a wildfire is burning, it’s important to stay aware of local fire conditions and, if needed, be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice,” the center said.
The Hawarden Fire destroyed or damaged more than a dozen homes in Riverside County, California, after it began on Sunday night. The blaze, which was 20% contained as of Tuesday, has burned more than 500 acres (2 square kilometers) after it was sparked by fireworks, forcing about 100 people to evacuate and injuring two, officials said.
Canada’s Alberta Province has also faced dozens of wildfires in recent days, causing thousands of people to evacuate, including an evacuation of Jasper National Park late Monday night.
(Reporting by Liya Cui in New York and Brendan O’Brien in Chicago)
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