Florida wildfires force thousands to flee their homes
SOCIAL
By Li Xiang

2017-04-24 10:06 GMT+8

Wildfires have turned more than 12,000 hectares of forest and dozens of homes into ash in the US state of Florida. Authorities said the situation is now under control and the possibility of arson is being investigated.
The fire has affected three of Florida's west coast counties, destroying at least 20 homes and forcing thousands to flee.
"These fires are dangerous. They're extremely dangerous, so you must be cautious,” said Rick Scott, Governor of Florida.
The Florida National Guard has joined the fire fight, dropping water from helicopters to try and douse the flames.This is a significant challenge, considering there is more than enough forest space to keep the fire raging on.
26 million people across Florida are under either a moderate or severe drought alert. Flames have turned the area into a tinderbox, and there are concerns that arson may have been behind this fire, with at least one of the blazes labeled as suspicious.

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