Millions face power cuts as California fires spread
LOS ANGELES: Californian officials warned on Saturday that “historic and extreme” wind conditions were set to fan raging wildfires in the north of the state as millions of residents face power cuts.
Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency as the so-called Kincade Fire spread to 23,700 acres after breaking out on Wednesday in the Sonoma wine region.
The blaze, which is burning in remote steep terrain, has destroyed about 50 structures and forced the evacuation of the small community of Geyserville and of nearby vineyard operations.
“This is definitely an event that we’re calling historic and extreme,” David King, meteorologist for the US National Weather Service, told Saturday’s Los Angeles Times.
The blaze forced the shutdown of all schools in the area as well as a major freeway, creating a traffic nightmare for commuters.
New evacuations in the area were ordered early on Friday as the fire that began the day before continued to spread, driven by so-called Santa Ana winds gusting up to 105 kilometres per hour.
Some 1,325 firefighters backed by air tankers and helicopters were battling the flames that raced toward densely packed communities and threatened 10,000 structures, officials said.
Six homes were destroyed, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby told a news conference, adding that the number was expected to rise.
At least four other fires have erupted in southern California this week, fueled by high temperatures in the 80s and 90s (above 30 Celsius) and bone dry conditions.
A red flag warning indicating ripe conditions for wildfire was in effect for more than 18 million people in the southern part of the state until Friday evening.