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'It Just Fast-Forwarded Our Fire Season': Scorching Heat Makes the West's 'Mega-Drought' Even Worse

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Thirty-two million people across several western states are dealing with a third dangerous heat wave in only a matter of weeks

One resident said, "It's like you're on fire."

Sacramento, California hit 111 degrees. Las Vegas hit an all-time record high of 117, and Death Valley reached 130 degrees over the weekend – just four degrees shy of the hottest temperature ever recorded on planet Earth. 

Most of the West is suffering under drought conditions with most of California under extreme drought.

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) has declared a state of emergency and is calling on everyone to cut water usage by 15 percent.

"Not only on residences, but industrial, commercial operations and agricultural operations," Newsom announced.

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It's brought an early beginning to California's fire season. 

California's largest fire is burning near the Nevada border north of Lake Tahoe and grew by a third on Sunday. 

Residents had to be evacuated.

Summer began just three weeks ago and firefighters are already feeling overwhelmed.

One fire official said "Cal Fire to this point has responded to more fires this year than last year. It impacts us...it stresses our staffing."

In southern Oregon, the Bootleg Fire has destroyed at least 143,000 acres.

And in Arizona, two firefighters were killed in a plane crash. 

On Mt. Rainier in Washington state, the mountain's snowpack of almost 3 feet is gone.

Robert Hahn of the Northwest Avalanche Center said, "I don't recall 100 inches of snowmelt, basically, 95 inches of snow occurring over a 21-day period." 

The water levels on lakes that supply the region with water continue to fall. 

In Nevada, Little Washoe Lake is already completely dried up. 

There are slightly cooler temperatures arriving in the region today but it will still be hot, and the drought that has gripped the region since last year will continue. 

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About The Author

Dale
Hurd

Since joining CBN News, Dale has reported extensively from Western Europe, as well as China, Russia, and Central and South America. Dale also covered China's opening to capitalism in the early 1990s, as well as the Yugoslav Civil War. CBN News awarded him its Command Performance Award for his reporting from Moscow and Sarajevo. Since 9/11, Dale has reported extensively on various aspects of the global war on terror in the United States and Europe. Follow Dale on Twitter @dalehurd and "like" him at Facebook.com/DaleHurdNews.