High winds whip up hell

LOS ANGELES — A wildfire erupted in Los Angeles’ exclusive Bel-Air section yesterday as yet another part of Southern California found itself under siege from an outbreak of wind-whipped blazes that have consumed multimillion-dollar houses and tract homes alike.

Hundreds of homes across the L.A. metropolitan area and beyond were feared destroyed since Monday, but firefighters were only slowly managing to make their way into some of the hard-hit areas for an accurate count.

As many as five fires have closed highways, schools and museums, and cast a hazardous haze over the region. About 200,000 people were under evacuation orders. No deaths and only a few injuries were reported.

From the beachside city of Ventura, where rows of homes were leveled, to the foothills north of Los Angeles, to Bel-Air, fierce Santa Ana winds sweeping in from the desert fanned the flames and fears.

Air tankers that were grounded most of Tuesday because of high winds went up yesterday, dropping flame retardant.

Winds were expected to gust as high as 80 mph overnight into today, possibly creating unprecedented fire danger.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection uses a colorcoded wind index in its forecasts. Today’s forecast is purple, the most extreme condition, which has never been used before, director Ken Pimlott said.

In Ventura County northwest of L.A., the biggest and most destructive of the wildfires destroyed at least 150 structures.

While winds were calmer yesterday, the fire remained active around Ventura, spreading into the mountains around the community of Ojai and into Santa Paula.