Currently — July 25th, 2022

The weather, currently.

Wildfires in California, Italy, and Greece are burning out of control this week as peak summer heating combines with long-term drought to create explosive weather conditions.

The Oak Fire has grown rapidly since first emerging on Friday, pulling firefighting resources from all over the state. The fire is just south of Yosemite Valley and remains 0% contained after burning more than 14,000 acres. Smoke from the fire is expected to drift westward toward the Bay Area on Monday, worsening air quality and turning skies a milky white.

In Europe, record-setting heat for the past several weeks has accelerated drought conditions in the Mediterranean, prompting hundreds of evacuations across Greece and Italy.

Climate change exacerbates wildfire conditions because hot air can rapidly dry out vegetation, providing more fuel for megafires.

—Eric Holthaus

What you need to know, currently.

The California wildfire, now called the Oak Fire, continues to smolder for a third day right outside Yosemite National Park.

The fire has burned more than 14,000 acres and led to the forced evacuations of thousands of people. It began Friday in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

The Oak Fire is just another symptom of the extreme heat wave that has been blanketing the U.S., with many parts of California blazing in triple–digit temperatures. As the nation bakes due to human-induced climate change, drought conditions worsen and wildfires become more frequent.

Here is a GoFundMe that we can donate to in the meantime: Family home burnt to the ground in the Oak Fire.

—Aarohi Sheth