Southern California Wildfire spreads - homes destroyed, thousands evacuated
The authorities have ordered evacuations.
Image: Keystone
The flames are spreading rapidly due to strong winds.
Image: Keystone
The Mountain Fire in Southern California continues to spread.
Image: Keystone
The extent of the damage is not yet known.
Image: Keystone/AP/Noah Berger
The authorities have ordered evacuations.
Image: Keystone
The flames are spreading rapidly due to strong winds.
Image: Keystone
The Mountain Fire in Southern California continues to spread.
Image: Keystone
The extent of the damage is not yet known.
Image: Keystone/AP/Noah Berger
A forest fire in Southern California causes residents to flee. The flames are spreading rapidly, helped by the strong Santa Ana winds. The extent of the damage is not yet known.
08.11.2024, 06:05
08.11.2024, 06:06
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- Hundreds of firefighters are battling a rapidly spreading fire in Southern California.
- The so-called "Mountain Fire" near the town of Camarillo, west of Los Angeles, has doubled in size virtually overnight.
- According to the authorities, the flames charred an area of over 80 square kilometers.
- Numerous houses were burnt down or damaged, the fire department announced on Thursday, without giving specific figures.
- The Los Angeles Times reported that over 130 buildings had been destroyed.
Hundreds of firefighters are battling a rapidly spreading fire in Southern California. The so-called "Mountain Fire" near the town of Camarillo has doubled in size virtually overnight. According to the authorities, the flames charred an area of over 80 square kilometers. Numerous houses were burnt down or damaged, the fire department announced on Thursday, without giving specific figures. The Los Angeles Times reported that over 130 buildings had been destroyed.
The fire drove thousands of people from their homes in the affected region, around 80 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles. The authorities ordered further evacuations. California Governor Gavin Newsom visited the site to assess the situation. Newsom requested immediate assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) to fight the fire. More than 3,500 homes and businesses are threatened in the affected region, according to a statement.
Southern California is currently affected by strong Santa Ana winds, which occur primarily in the fall and winter. The dry winds exacerbate the extreme fire danger, it was said. Added to this are persistent summer temperatures and dry vegetation, which ignites easily.
Power switched off as a precaution
The responsible energy supplier, Southern California Edison, switched off the power in particularly endangered areas as a precautionary measure. Strong gusts of wind can damage electricity pylons and lines and cause sparks. This has repeatedly caused fires in the past. Around 70,000 customers were without power on Thursday, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.