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Authorities rescued a group of hikers on Monday who went missing within the boundaries of a wildfire in Tahoe National Forest, California.
Placer County sheriff’s officials used a helicopter to locate the 13 missing hikers, who were aged between 16 and 20.
A long-running heat wave is fanning the wildfires, with dangerously high temperatures affecting roughly 130 million people.
The Search and Rescue unit launched a search by ground and air, after sheriff’s deputies found four cars parked near the fire zone.
Officials had been checking campsites and trail heads in the area.
“We tried to do phone pinging,” said Elise Soviar, Placer County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, “it’s a remote area, we weren’t able to reach any of the phones.”
Officials used a helicopter to drop two search and rescue crew members who led the hikers out of the fire zone.
Soviar praised the hikers: “they did a great job, they all stayed together.”
“A lot of them did have experience hiking, so they had good equipment.”
“They were aware that there was a fire and they were hiking in the other direction, and they felt comfortable with the distance they had got from the fire, around 2 miles.”
The hikers were rescued unharmed. “They’re in good spirits.”
The fire covered around 154 acres as of Monday evening, according to Placer County Sherriff’s Office.
Evacuation warnings and road closures were in place Monday.
“We knew that they were okay and they were safe, so that was a huge relief when we heard that,” Karla Hurd, parent of one of hikers, told NBC.
“But to see eyes on them was good.”
Michael Tait, one of the hikers, told NBC about the moment he saw the fire.
“I saw what looked like a campfire. But it spread.”
California wildfires are continuing to spread, fuelled by heat waves.
The biggest fire as of yesterday was the Lake Fire in Santa Barbara, covering more than 20,000 acres. The fire came within a mile of Michael Jackson’s former Neverland Ranch on Sunday, threatening the infamous property.
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department dispatched resources Monday to help control the wildfire.
The fire is currently 12% contained according to Cal Fire, and is one of 17 ongoing fires which fall under their juristiction.
Basin Fire in Fresno is the second largest at 14,027 acres, but is now at 80% containment.
Residents were evacuated near Yosemite National Park on Friday due to another wildfire, whilst other fires in California triggered extensive evacuation orders and destroyed 25 structures.
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