A fast-moving fire burned multiple homes in Southern California as hot, windy weather gripped the region Friday, prompting evacuations and power outages. TV footage showed homes burning in San Juan Capistrano in Orange County, with flames engulfing them and black smoke billowing over tennis courts and backyard swimming pools. Aerial footage captured firefighters spraying two-story suburban homes as flames leapt from their roofs.
The wildfire started in the coastal city of San Clemente and was driven by the wind into San Juan Capistrano. It was one of several fires burning in the region hit by dry, warm, and gusty northeast winds known as Santa Anas. The Orange County Fire Authority said four homes have burned and that two evacuation shelters have opened, one in each city, and urged those under evacuation orders to 'leave now.'
A blaze in Malibu, a coastal town west of Los Angeles, prompted evacuation orders and warnings for a large swath of the Santa Monica Mountains, with a large cloud of black smoke visible over the hilltops. More than 400 firefighters battled the Bryson Fire overnight, which was at 250 acres on Friday morning and had threatened a Los Angeles County juvenile detention and rehabilitation facility, which was evacuated Thursday night.
Winds from 20 mph to 35 mph were expected Friday, with gusts forecast to reach 50 mph up to 70 mph in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. With humidity levels dropping, the service said this would favor a critical fire weather threat. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass directed the fire department to deploy personnel and equipment ahead of the winds and requested assistance from the state’s office of emergency services.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal, Las Vegas Sun
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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