Three major blazes burning over 40,000 acres in Northern California

SAN FRANCISCO, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Three major wildfires have burned across over 40,000 acres in Northern California, the United States.

The Lava Fire in Siskiyou County, starting on June 24, has burned nearly 24,460 acres (about 99 square kilometers) with 24 percent contained as of Saturday and thousands of people had been displaced, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire)

The Tennant Fire broke out on the eastern side of the Klamath National Forest on Monday afternoon. The fire on Saturday was around 10,012 acres (about 40.5 sq km) and 17 percent was contained, Cal Fire said.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the Salt Fire has destroyed about 27 homes. The fire grew to 7,467 acres (about 30 sq km) with 5 percent contained. It is believed to have been started by a vehicle traveling on I-5 on Wednesday near Lake Shasta, a report by San Francisco Chronicle said.

While wildfires are a natural part of California's landscape, the fire season in California and across the U.S. West is starting earlier and ending later each year. Climate change is considered a key driver of this trend, Cal Fire said.

Warmer spring and summer temperatures, reduced snowpack, and earlier spring snowmelt create longer and more intense dry seasons that increase moisture stress on vegetation and make forests more susceptible to severe wildfire, it noted.