Tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes after a new wildfire erupted north of Los Angeles on Wednesday. The explosive fire caused fresh trouble in a region already reeling from two deadly blazes.
Ferocious flames were devouring hillsides near Castaic Lake, spreading at a rapid pace to cover more than 8,000 acres (3,200 hectares) in just a few hours, as reported by news agency AFP. Strong, dry Santa Ana winds blowing through the area fanned the blaze, pushing a vast pall of smoke and dangerous embers ahead of the flames.
After the blaze engulfed the region, an order to evacuate 31,000 people around the lake was issued. The lake sits about 35 miles (56 kilometres) north of Los Angeles, close to the city of Santa Clarita. Residents in the area received emergency alerts following the new fire that erupted north of Los Angeles.
The latest horrific fire incident occurred at a time when the greater Los Angeles area was still suffering from two enormous blazes that had claimed the lives of more than two dozen people and destroyed a large number of structures.
Amid the chaos caused by the massive fire, Robert Jensen of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department urged everyone in the impacted area to leave immediately. “We’ve seen the devastation caused by people failing to follow those orders in the Palisades and Eaton fires,” he said, as quoted by AFP. “I don’t want to see that here in our community as well. If you’ve been issued an evacuation order, please get out,” he added.
In television footage, police were seen driving around neighbourhoods requesting people to evacuate. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic was under an evacuation order, and as many as 500 inmates were being moved to a neighbouring facility.
According to California Highway Patrol, the blaze was impacting traffic on the I-5 freeway, with a section of the road shuttered. As the trouble mounted following the fire, helicopters and planes were rushed to the scene, dropping water and retardant on the blaze. That fleet included two Super Scoopers, enormous amphibious planes that can carry hundreds of gallons (litres) of water, according to AFP.
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