50,000 forced to evacuate near Los Angeles as fierce winds stoke wildfire.
LOS ANGELES — At least 50,000 people were under evacuation orders Friday in the Santa Clarita area north of Los Angeles as hot, dry Santa Ana winds howling at up to 50 mph drove the flames into neighborhoods.
The cause of the fire was unknown, but Southern California Edison said it had cut off power to the area five hours before the fire broke out Thursday afternoon.
At least six homes were burned, and officials said the number was expected to rise as they took a more thorough look. No immediate injuries were reported.
“I’m literally seeing sticks and fire of what used to be our home,” Alejandro Corrales told KCBSTV. She said the fire also took her mother’s ashes, other belongings and possibly a pen full of pet sheep.
“Everything in the house is gone,” Corrales said. “The panels on one of the pens where we have some rescued sheep was too hot for my daughter to open, and so she couldn’t let them out. … So I’m probably sure that we lost them, too.”
Firefighters on the ground and in the air struggled to protect homes surrounded by trees and brush as the fire grew to 4,300 acres.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County because of the fire.
Sean Malin, 27, evacuated from Santa Clarita along with his mother and their two dogs after police officers drove down their street, telling them to leave.
“It’s a huge inconvenience,” he said. “On the other hand, I know that the worst thing we could possibly do is get in the way of a firefight that needs to happen.”
Some residents tried to fight the blaze with garden hoses. People rushed to rescue dozens of horses, donkeys, goats, a pig and an emu.
Officials said a firefighting helicopter was grounded after its windshield was damaged by a collision with a bird.
High winds were expected to taper off by late afternoon. Southern California Edison, which shut off electricity to more than 31,000 customers on Thursday, said it was considering additional power cuts to more than 386,000.
The huge Los Angeles school district closed all its schools in the San Fernando Valley, citing poor air quality and other safety concerns.