A massive fire in California destroyed 8,000 hectares of land and thousands of people were forced to evacuate.
an intense Forest fire The danger is that it has spread rapidly in Southern California this Thursday and has already swallowed 8,000 hectares of land up to 3,500 housesAccording to the latest reports, hundreds of firefighters have been deployed in an effort to put out the fire, with several injured people taken to hospital.
The flames broke out on Wednesday morning LuckNorth of Los Angeles, it has already devastated several neighborhoods and destroyed buildings, but officials have not yet been able to account for the initial damage.
More than 14,000 residents received evacuation orders or warnings. Mainly in the cities of Camarillo, Somis and Moorpark, Ventura Sheriff Jim Fryhoff reported Wednesday. “We know this is a painful time,” Fryhoff said. ,fire is very dangerous “And I want to remind everyone that we have new evacuation zones marked at night.”
He commented, “This fire is very active and unpredictable, we have many resources in action, and we want to guarantee that everyone looking for shelter is safe.” “I couldn’t sleep, I was trying to find a safe place,” area resident Erica Preciado told local media. Of flames. “I took some photos, documents and a few things and left very quickly,” he added through tears.
Another resident told KTLA television that he and his family evacuated their 27-year-old home, only to discover it had been destroyed in the flames. “There was nothing left,” He said in a broken voice. Firefighters dropped water from helicopters overnight and several teams are trying to control the fire on the ground, although strong winds and low humidity have complicated the situation.
To make matters worse, water shortages began early in the morning, Ventura Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said. ,We have controlled the fire for 26 hoursAnd we put all these trucks on hydrants, and we drained the water reserves,” Gardner told reporters. Gardner clarified that although this is not common, it is still not unusual. He added, “We “We are prepared for it, so it will impact us but we will minimize it.”
Nearly 70,000 people in the area were left without electricity service due to preventive cuts.According to supply company Southland. The measure, which is common to avoid new incidents of collapse of poles during fires, could be expanded, leaving hundreds of people without electricity in the coming hours.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but climate experts said the flames started at the same time as the area. Under intense red alert. “Which means very high winds, very low humidity and a lot of fuel,” said Rich Thompson, a meteorologist with the U.S. National Weather Service.
The area received two years of heavy rain, promoting the growth of grass, which now becomes ideal fuel for the rapid spread of fires under drought, heat and wind. Weather conditions improved slightly this Thursday, but the area remains on red alert. ,We expect wind gusts between 40 to 56 kilometers from the north-east “Hourly in the afternoon, humidity levels between 10 and 15%,” Thompson said.
California government Secured additional resources and deployed teams in 19 counties The state has issued warnings of weather conditions ripe for dangerous wildfires in many areas along California’s coast and inland.