Published 9 September 2024 at 11.51
Foreign. In California, more than 35,000 houses are threatened by a large forest fire east of Los Angeles. It is a wooded area near the city of San Bernardino that is burning and according to the Los Angeles Times the fire is 70 square kilometers in size.
Share the article
TwittraShare
The fire started on Thursday and has spread very quickly and according to the newspaper the fire is not under control to any extent. The residents of several communities in the San Gabriel Mountains have been ordered to leave their homes.
The fire has now destroyed more than 7,000 hectares and forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. Particularly affected are areas such as Running Springs and Arrow Bear Lake, where the residents quickly had to leave everything behind.
— The fire has grown rapidly and we are facing major challenges due to strong winds and extremely dry conditions, a spokesperson for the emergency services told the Los Angeles Times.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued a state of emergency to mobilize more resources, including firefighters from across the state who are now working with the U.S. Forest Service and CAL FIRE. In total, over 600 firefighters are involved in the work of trying to limit the fire's spread. Despite their efforts, the fire is still not under control.
— The wind has created extremely erratic fire conditions, and we are having difficulty getting any kind of control, the spokesperson continues.
For those residents who forced from their homes, temporary evacuation centers have been set up at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds and Immanuel Baptist Church. Over 8,700 buildings are said to be in danger, and while the firefighters are fighting the fire, the residents are also being warned about deteriorating air quality due to the heavy smoke development.
— It is a reminder of the forces of nature. The impact of the weather makes the situation even more unpredictable, Fire Chief Brent Pascua told the Los Angeles Times.
With the fire still out of control, it is clear that further problems lie ahead, including the risk of more evacuations if the wind continues to push the fire into new areas
In the background is a heat wave that has plagued Southern California for the past week, and on Friday 44 degrees were measured in downtown Los Angeles.