Last Updated on 08/09/2024 by Arun jain
An uncontrolled wildfire in Southern California grew explosively Saturday, quadrupling in size to more than 17,000 acres by Sunday morning and prompting mandatory evacuation orders for more than 5,000 people.
As firefighters struggle to contain the blaze in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains, they are working with Dangerous heat wave It is expected to affect parts of Southern California and the Southwest through at least Monday.
The heat wave is also increasing the risk of more fires. On Sunday, a region stretching from the Pacific Coast to the mountains northwest of Los Angeles, including parts of Santa Barbara County and Ventura County, Red flag warning. It is the highest National Weather Service warning for conditions that could result in extreme fire behavior.
The San Bernardino fire, known as the Line Fire, started Thursday in the city of Highland, east of Los Angeles, according to San Bernardino County and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
On Saturday, fueled by temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and “critically dry” vegetation, the fire quickly spread toward the San Bernardino Mountains and grew from about 3,800 acres in the morning to 17,237 acres by nightfall. According to Cal Fire and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
As of Sunday morning, it was 0 percent contained and threatened more than 8,000 structures, according to Cal Fire. The cause was under investigation.
More than 5,000 people in San Bernardino County were under mandatory evacuation orders Saturday night, Cal Fire spokesman Brent Pascua said. The order includes parts of Highland and Running Springs, a community in the San Bernardino Mountains, county officials said. said.
“We saw really heavy fire activity and really fast moving fires,” Mr Pascua said. “We won’t get much help as far as the weather goes.”
San Bernardino County and parts of Riverside County were under extreme heat warnings until Monday evening, the most severe heat warnings. Weather Service warned Daytime temperatures can reach 102 to 110 degrees, while nighttime lows will only drop into the mid to upper 70s.
About 500 firefighters were trying to contain the blaze Saturday, but steep terrain and a lack of access hampered their ability to reach some areas, Cal Fire said. said.
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