A wildfire exploded overnight in Los Angeles. Tens of thousands of people are under mandatory evacuation order

LOS ÁNGELES.- Miles de residentes del norte del condado de Los Ángeles (EEUU) fueron evacuados este viernes por un incendio que amenaza con propagarse rápidamente por los fuertes vientos que azotan la zona, donde se contabilizan ya varias casas destruidas.

El fuego, que se desató en la noche del jueves y creció rápidamente, amenaza a más de 13.000 viviendas en el norte del Condado de Los Ángeles, y ya obligó al cierre de cuatro carreteras, entre ellas la autopista 5, una de las más importantes de California, que conecta el norte y el sur del estado.

Al menos 1.800 hectáreas se han quemado y, según el Departamento Forestal y de Protección contra Incendios de California (Cal Fire), la situación podría empeorar debido a los vientos que azotan la zona y avivan el fuego.

Otros dos incendios que dañaron varias viviendas se desataron al este de Los Ángeles en el condado de Riverside, donde las autoridades aún tratan de ponerlos bajo control.

El Servicio Nacional de Meteorología (NWS) pronosticó que los vientos que soplan entre 25 y 30 millas por hora (32-48 km/h) continuarán hasta la tarde de este viernes con ráfagas de hasta 50 m/h (80 km/h) en el área del incendio, lo que dificulta el trabajo de los bomberos.

EFE

ENGLISH

A wildfire exploded overnight in Los Angeles. Tens of thousands of people are under mandatory evacuation order

LOS ANGELES, Cali. — A fast-growing, wind-driven wildfire swept into the northern Los Angeles area overnight, forcing hurried evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people, closing portions of at least three major freeways and sending firefighters scrambling to save homes.

The Saddleridge Fire, which started Thursday and exploded to 4,600 acres by early Friday, jumped across the 210 and 5 freeways overnight as it spread from the San Fernando Valley into northern Los Angeles neighborhoods.

An undetermined number of homes have been destroyed, and mandatory evacuations were called for more than 12,000 homes — often while occupants were sleeping — in and near Los Angeles’ Porter Ranch neighborhood, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

“We need people to leave now while they can,” Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Michael Moore said early Friday.

This is just one of the several blazes in Southern California fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, with gusts around 60 mph. Many parts of the region are under red-flag warnings — meaning high fire risk — into Friday afternoon.

The Saddleridge Fire started around 9 p.m. ET and jumped the 210 and 5 freeways, and some parts of the roads were closed in both directions as orange embers lit up the night sky. By late Thursday it had gutted 60 acres; but some four hours later, it had grown to more than 4,000 acres, fire officials said.

Hector Landeros, who lives in northern Los Angeles’ Sylmar neighborhood, said he heard fire trucks and police cruisers speeding through the streets Thursday night as the massive flames got closer.

“In some areas, the streets have started to empty but at the front lines people are watching, waiting on the sidewalk not really knowing what to do,” he told CNN early Friday. “There are a lot of people trying to get into their neighborhoods.”

Shaun Butch said he saw flames on both sides of the freeway while driving on Interstate 5.

“Everything was engulfed in smoke and visibility was so low it was hard to drive. Everyone on the Interstate 5 north was stopped and trapped. Still was able to barely get through on the Interstate 5 north.”

Patsy Zamora said as she drove on the freeway with the fire next to the truck route, she could feel the heat through the windows.

In Sylmar, Mojdan Darabi’s husband was spraying their house and yard with a garden hose early Friday, CNN affiliate KABC reported. They both stood outside, anxiously watching flames in the nearby hillsides.

“Yes, I’m worried, but I’m just shooting water everywhere to stop the fire from over here,” the husband said.

It’s one of multiple fires in the region

The Saddleridge Fire is one of several burning in Southern California.

Another blaze — the Sandalwood Fire in Calimesa, some 70 miles east of Los Angeles — has destroyed at least 74 structures since it began Thursday afternoon, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. It has burned at least 500 acres and was at least 10% contained.

It started when the load on a garbage truck caught on fire and spread to vegetation, Capt. Fernando Herrera of Cal Fire Riverside told CNN affiliate KABC.

“Due to the Santa Ana wind influx, obviously this fire just completely went out of control. It started just eating up vegetation as fast as the eye can see,” he said.

Residents are under mandatory evacuation orders, and 120 firefighters are assigned to the area.

Less than 20 miles away in Moreno Valley, the Reche Fire has burned at least 350 acres and was 10% contained Thursday evening. The fire went from 100 to 200 acres in about 90 minutes, before nearly doubling two hours later. Mandatory evacuations have been issued in surrounding areas, and the cause is under investigation.

Southern California Edison cut power to almost 24,000 customers Thursday to prevent wildfires caused by high winds downing live power equipment.

More from the original source: https://kdvr.com/2019/10/11/a-wildfire-exploded-overnight-in-los-angeles-tens-of-thousands-of-people-are-under-mandatory-evacuation-order/