Devastating fires strike California

MORE than 1 000 firefighters were struggling to contain a wind-whipped brush fire in southern California on Tuesday that has left at least one person dead, sent thousands fleeing, and was choking the area with thick black smoke.

The Ventura County Fire Department said more than 27 000 people had been told to evacuate as the fastmoving fire in the coastal county north of Los Angeles grew to 18 200 hectares.

More than 150 homes and businesses had already been destroyed.

California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, announcing: “This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly. It’s critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so.”

The northern part of Los Angeles county was engulfed in thick smoke, leaving the air almost unbreathable as ash fell on the streets. Mayor Eric Garcetti warned residents to remain vigilant for fresh outbreaks.

“This is an extreme weather event and these winds can spread embers far and/or kick small new fires up quickly. We expect five days of this,” he tweeted.

A Red Cross evacuation centre which had hosted 600 people on Monday night was expecting that number to rise to around 1 000 by Tuesday, spokesman Fred Mariscal said.

Lexus Deloni, a 20-year-old caregiver who had brought her two young girls, said she had only 45 minutes to evacuate after returning home from a 12-hour shift in the city of Ojai, an hour-and-a-half drive from LA.

Prospects for containment of the fire depended on improving weather conditions.

“Really, Mother Nature is going to decide when we have the ability to put it out,” Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen told a news conference.

Strong seasonal gusts known as the Santa Ana winds had registered speeds of up to 80km/h, the National Weather Service said, predicting they could hit much faster speeds.

“The fire is pushing quickly towards the city of Ventura,” Lorenzen said, and has reached the eastern city limits. The oceanside city has a population of around 100 000.

The fire chief said one death had been reported. “As the individual was evacuating from the fire, the car overturned,” he said.

Authorities said more than 1 000 firefighters were fighting the “Thomas Fire” – with flames sometimes taking on the appearance of a volcanic eruption.

Two other large blazes broke out on Tuesday – the Creek Fire, which has so far swallowed around 4 500ha, and the Rye fire. — AFP