Wildfire roars back to life as death toll rises
Southern California’s huge wildfire roared to life again yesterday in a mountain wilderness area. But in a sign of significant progress against the blaze, more neighbourhoods were reopened to thousands of residents who fled last week.
A massive plume rose suddenly in the Santa Monica Mountains near the community of Lake Sherwood, prompting authorities to send numerous aircraft to drop fire retardant and water on the blaze.
Forecasters had warned of ongoing fire danger because of persistent Santa Ana winds, the withering, dry gusts that sweep out of the interior towards the coast.
But except for an apartment building that burned overnight in coastal Malibu, there was little sign of fire activity elsewhere in the vast fire zone west of Los Angeles.
Officials tempered their optimism with caution, saying there were hotspots and pockets of unburned vegetation.
‘‘We are not out of the woods yet. We still have some incredibly tough conditions ahead of us,’’ Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said.
The death toll from the Woolsey fire stood at two – a pair of adults found last week in a car overtaken by flames. They have not been identified.
The number of homes and other structures destroyed had reached 435. Damage assessments were continuing, with crews having to gain access to canyon areas on foot. ‘‘That number is going to rise significantly,’’ Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said.
Residents who stayed behind in coastal communities that were cut off by road closures were getting supplies by boat. Gas, food, baby wipes and horse pellets were among the items brought ashore in the Paradise Cove area of Malibu. Supplies were unloaded on to smaller boats, jet skis and even surfboards. Some residents donned wetsuits and swam ashore with cases of water and beer.
The fire has grown to nearly 393sq km, but containment has also increased to 40 per cent.
Authorities lifted evacuation orders yesterday in several neighbourhoods. Tens of thousands of people remain under evacuation orders, down from a high of as many as 250,000.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell urged patience by residents. The firestorm had left an array of hazards, including trees ready to fall, downed power lines, toxins, water main and gas leaks, and other destroyed infrastructure, he said.
At least 42 people were confirmed dead in a wildfire that obliterated the northern California town of Paradise, making it the deadliest wildfire in recorded state history. The search for bodies continued.
The cause of the southern California fires remains under investigation. –AP