CALIFORNIA FIRES
Danger remains high amid unpredictable wind gusts.
LOS ANGELES — Fire danger remained high Fridayamid unpredictable wind gusts and dry conditions in Southern California, as crews made progress against blazes that burned several homes and injured two firefighters.
The region’s notorious Santa Ana winds decreased slightly, but red flag warnings of extreme wildfire risk were in place into the weekend because of low humidity. After the weather calms in the southern part of the state, winds are expected to increase in Northern California starting Sunday, forecasters said.
Firefighters were still busy trying to contain a number of blazes south and east of Los Angeles. The biggest began late Wednesday as a house fire in Orange County’s Silverado Canyon that spread to dry brush by fierce winds. Some 25,000 people were ordered to flee their homes, although some evacuation orders were later lifted.
The fire grew to 10 square miles and blanketed a wide area with smoke and ash. It was 10% contained as calmer conditions helped hundreds of firefighters who fought the flames on the ground and by air.
Two U.S. Forest Service firefighters were hospitalized after being hurt while battling the blaze, although it wasn’t known how the injuries occurred. One was treated for a leg injury and the other suffered bruising, and both were released Wednesday night, the Forest Servicesaid on Twitter.
Some residents said they didn’t receive evacuation alerts because Southern California Edison had shut off power as a precaution before thefire erupted, leaving them withoutcellphone service.
The fire was not far from thesite of October’s Silverado Fire, which also forced thousands from their homes and left two firefighters critically burned.
Crews mostly tamed two small fires that prompted evacuations in Riverside Countyeast of Los Angeles.
And to the south, a small blaze in San Diego County that threatened about 200 residences was fully contained Thursday after destroying one home and damaging six others in a neighborhood nearEl Cajon.
Santa Ana winds hit 50 mph to 85 mph at times throughout the region beginningWednesday night.
Numerous studies have linked bigger wildfires in America to climate change from the burning of coal, oil and gas. Scientists have said climatechange has made California much drier, meaning trees and other plants are moreflammable.
The fires erupted as Southern California utilities cut the power to more than 100,000 customers to avoid the threat of winds knocking down or fouling power lines and causing wildfires — something that has sparked devastating fires in recent years.
Southern California Edison cut power to nearly 50,000 homes and businesses, including those in the area where the Bond Fire started, but as winds eased the utility began restoring electricity.
San Diego Gas & Electric’s precautionary blackouts affected around 73,000 customersat the peak.
More than 6,500 square miles of California have been scorched so far this year, a total larger than the combined area of Connecticut and Rhode Island. At least 31 people have been killed, and 10,500 homes and other structuresdamaged or destroyed.
The latest fire threat comes as much of California plungesdeeper into drought.
Virtually all of Northern California is in severe or extreme drought while nearly all of Southern California is abnormallydry or worse.