Updated Oct. 31, 2019 8:55 AM
Santa Ana winds are forecast to continue into Thursday across Southern California, but the fire danger will not end as winds begin to gradually lessen.
A new brush fire in San Bernardino, named the Hillside Fire, ignited on Thursday morning and quickly grew in severity. Just one day after the Easy Fire drew widespread concern, this second, fast-growing wildfire quickly forced evacuations.
According to a tweet posted by the San Bernardino National Forest, the blaze “has entered neighborhoods in north San Bernardino. Mandatory evacuations are in effect west of Hwy 18, which has been closed.”
Video posted to social media showed firefighters battling the raging fires in a neighborhood that had been turned into a hellish landscape, with numerous homes on fire and smoke and embers filling the dark sky all while powerful winds whipped through the area.
Watch what happened at 6:12 in @564FIREPhoto's broadcast: San Bernardino - Hillside Fire - 2#hillsidefire #californiafirespscp.tv/w/cIqxCTFwempN…
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The San Bernardino County Fire Department (SBCFD) first responded to the blaze at 2:10 a.m., local time, and found three acre of fire. By 4:40 a.m., over 300 firefighting personnel were on the scene.
Approx 350 personnel are on scene of the #HillsideFire for structure defense in the neighborhoods and the abutting wildland areas. A night flying air attack and water-dropping helicopter are also working on the incident.
Media: A temporary flight restriction is in place for the #HillsideFire. It has a 5 mile radius at 8,000 feet.
For the public: No drones! We had an incursion on the #OldWaterFire last week. Let’s keep the air clear this week. Thank you!
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The Easy Fire, located in Simi Valley, has been anything but easy for crews to handle. After sparking early Wednesday morning near Easy Street, hence the name, the blaze rapidly grew from just 200 acres to more than 1,600 acres by Wednesday evening. As of 4 a.m. PDT Thursday, the fire was at 0% containment, according to Ventura County Office of Emergency Services. However, Cal Fire reports that at least 5% of the blaze has been contained.
The fire ignited near the 118 Freeway and Madera Road and quickly spread toward neighborhoods, forcing officials to enact widespread mandatory evacuations. According to Ventura County Fire Captain Steve Kaufmann, 7,000 homes were threatened by the blaze on Wednesday.
Evacuations also included the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which is the largest presidential library in the nation. Reports say the library brings hundreds of goats every May to eat the brush around the perimeter of the building to create a fire break, which could have saved the library from the Easy Fire's flames.
Shortly after 3 p.m. PDT, California Highway Patrol announced flames jumped the 23 Freeway just north of Tierra Rejada Road. At least 800 firefighters are battling the Easy Fire, which is approximately 50 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
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Volunteers help evacuate horses in dense smoke during the Easy Fire in Simi Valley, California. (AP Photo/ Christian Monterrosa)
Strong winds were reported in the area near the Easy Fire, including a 78 mph gust at Boney Mountain. A gust of that force is equivalent to the wind strength of a Category 1 hurricane.
The blaze initially spread toward and threatened the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, coming dangerously close to the building. According to a representative from the library, a flock of goats "is what saved us today." Each year, the library brings in about 300 goats to eat flammable vegetation around the building.
On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant to help ensure the availability of resources to fight the Easy Fire burning in Ventura County.
“The continued real-time assistance provided as California grapples with fires across the state has been critical to our efforts to keep communities safe and reduce damages,” said Newsom. “We are thankful to our federal, state and local partners for their extraordinary, collaborative response in this challenging time.”
A similar preventative measure may have also spared the Getty Center in Los Angeles from the destructive Getty Fire. While the blaze hasn't grown as fast as the Easy Fire or nearly as massive as the Kincade Fire, it has threatened one of the most populous regions in the country. Since igniting on Monday morning, the inferno has threatened the Brentwood and Westside communities in Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told reporters that the cause for the ignition of the blaze was wind blowing dried branches onto power lines.
A civilian vehicle traveling on the Sepulveda Pass caught the initial flash on a dashcam.
According to Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Public Information Officer Erik Scott, "There is no evidence of arson or an intentionally set fire and there is no evidence of a homeless encampment in the fire's area of origin."
According to the LAFD, 12 structures have been destroyed by the Getty Fire and the blaze was at 27% containment as of early Wednesday. More than 7,000 residences are in the Mandatory Evacuation Zone and should be considered threatened.
"Overnight, crews and aircraft worked to contain wind-driven spot fires and flare-ups within the current fire perimeter," LAFD said in a Wednesday morning statement. "Adverse weather conditions will be the biggest challenge for firefighters today. An Extreme Red Flag Warning remains in effect throughout the day today and into tomorrow."
Meanwhile, California's largest fire of the year, the Kincade Fire, continues to wreak havoc in Northern California. Since igniting last week in Sonoma County, the blaze has spread to 76,825 acres and is at 45% containment according to Cal Fire.
The massive fire has destroyed 266 structures, including a historic winery, as more than 5,000 personnel assigned to the blaze have struggled against strong winds. Since the Kincade Fire began, nearly 200,000 people have been forced from their homes.
Hundreds of thousands of residents have had to deal with power shutoffs from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). Starting on Oct. 26, more than 900,000 customers had their power shut off for safety purposes. While 57% of those customers had power restored by Monday, another 605,000 customers had their power cut on Tuesday.
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