SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — Several large wildfires burning in Southern California have killed at least two people, destroyed dozens of structures, burned thousands of acres, shut down freeways and forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate their homes.
Three of the fires erupted in Riverside County on Thursday. The Reche Fire, which broke out among strong winds, had burned 350 acres and was 40 percent contained by Friday morning. The deadly Sandalwood Fire had wiped out nearly an entire mobile home park as it consumed more than 800 acres, with about 10 percent containment. And around 5 p.m. Thursday, in remote, mountainous terrain, the Wolf Fire broke out and burned 75 acres. That fire is 25 percent contained.
Hours later, the Saddleridge Fire near Sylmar in Los Angeles County exploded in size, jumping the Golden State (5) Freeway and forcing 100,000 residents — mainly in Porter Ranch — to flee their homes. The blaze had burned more than 7,500 acres by Friday afternoon and was 13 percent contained. The fire destroyed more than 25 structures, and one man suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while trying to save his home from the flames.
Click Here: New Zealand rugby store
Several other fires are burning across the state in Ventura, Mariposa and San Luis Obispo counties.
It has been a tense week in California after weather forecasters issued red flag warnings for much for the state due to the hot, dry and windy weather. In response to the weather forecast, electric companies yanked the power plug, leaving many Golden State residents in the dark.
Thousands in Northern California are still without power after Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s unprecedented Public Safety Power Shutoff cut the power to 738,000 customers in 35 counties in an effort to avoid sparking fires during the extreme weather conditions. By Friday, the power had been restored to just half of the customers.
Cal Fire has stepped up its staffing statewide due to the red flag conditions and power shutoffs.
See Also: