Raging fires keep tens of thousands from homes
LOS ANGELES » Crews tried to beat back two out-of-control wildfires in Southern California on Tuesday that have kept tens of thousands of people out of their homes even as another round of dangerous fire weather raises the risk for flames erupting across the state.
Fierce winds that drove twin fires through brushy hills near cities in Orange County a day earlier were expected to pick back up, although not to the earlier extremes, according to the National Weather Service.
Southern California Edison reported to regulators that it was investigating whether its equipment might have sparked the Silverado Fire near the city of Irvine. With utility equipment blamed for several destructive fires in recent years, Edison was among the utilities in California that deliberately cut power to customers to prevent equipment from being knocked down or hit with debris in the winds and sparking wildfires.
Irvine residents had to evacuate after a fire broke out early Monday, while later and a few miles away, another blaze, the Blue Ridge Fire, sent people fleeing from the Yorba Linda area. New evacuations were ordered Tuesday as others were lifted. More than 70,000 people remained out of their homes.
At least 10 homes were damaged and crews protected hundreds more as winds pushed flames down ridges toward neighborhoods. There was little containment of the fires, which continued to grow throughout the day.
Forecasts call for Santa Ana winds to keep blow
ing over much of Southern California, with some of the strongest gusts howling through Orange County, where the major blazes are. The winds were expected to be lighter than a day earlier and die down by nighttime.
The gusts were so strong Monday that they toppled several semi-trucks on highways and forced firefighters to ground their aircraft, though they got back up by late afternoon and were expected to fly Tuesday.
Two firefighters, one 26 and the other, 31, remained in critical condition after being injured while battling the larger blaze near Irvine, according to the county’s Fire Authority, which didn’t provide details on how the injuries occurred. They each suffered secondand third- degree burns over large portions of their bodies and were at a hospital with their families by their sides, said OCFA Chief Brian Fennessey.
“It’s tough for any firefighter, certainly any fire chief to, to feel this helpless, when you’ve got part of our fire family fighting for their lives,” Fennessey said during a Tuesday news conference.
Ruth Anderson and her husband, Michael, grabbed medications and luggage as
powerful winds whipped up in their Irvine neighborhood on Monday. They begged their neighbors to leave too, then drove off, only to find themselves in a traffic jamas orange smoke descended.
“You could hardly see in front of you,” she said. “You didn’t know if there was a wall of fire coming or not.”
Once safely at a friend’s house a few cities over, “we made pumpkin martinis and tried to forget about life,” Anderson laughed.
Southern California Edison cut power to about 38,000 homes and businesses, although it restored some power by Monday night.
In Northern California, easing winds allowed Pacific Gas & Electric to begin restoring power after the largest of five safety shutoffs this year.
At its peak, PG& E cut power to about 345,000 customers — an estimated 1 million people — in 34 counties. The nation’s largest utility said it has restored power to more than 156,000 customers. Electricity is expected to come back at the remaining homes and buildings by Tuesday night after crews do inspections to make repairs and ensure equipment is safe.