Jan Wesner Childs
A raging Southern California wildfire has destroyed several buildings and threatens more than 5,000 other structures, fire officials Thursday.
Firefighters were racing to control the inferno ahead of warmer temperatures forecast for the coming days.
The blaze, dubbed the Lake Fire, started Wednesday and suddenly exploded in size in an area near Lake Hughes, about 60 miles north of Los Angeles.
“This will be a major fire for several days," Angeles National Forest Fire Chief Robert Garcia said in a Thursday morning news conference.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Darryl Osby said several structures had been destroyed. Osby said crews were still assessing the damage so an exact count wasn't yet available.
The fire had burned more than 16 square miles and was 0% contained as of 11:30 a.m. PDT Thursday, according to an update from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The update said 5,420 structures were threatened. Evacuation orders for more than 100 homes remained in effect.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
A separate update from the Angeles National Forest noted: "Fire will continue to grow and threaten the surrounding communities of Lake Hughes, Leona Valley, Lake Elizabeth, Pine Canyon, Quail Lake, Three Points, Historic Ridge Route and Inventoried Roadless Areas. Spotting and aggressive fire behavior will continue."
KNBC-TV reported that at least four homes had burned.
Photos by the Associated Press showed what appeared to be at least one home destroyed.
The fire was first reported around 3:40 p.m. PDT Wednesday, Garcia said in a previous news conference. Firefighters observed extreme fire behavior and the flames spread immediately. Within hours the fire had consumed some 15 square miles.
“It’s pretty explosive fire behavior,” Garcia said, according to KCAL-TV. “It’s typically what we see a little bit later in the season and often driven by wind. The fuel, moisture conditions and the fire at this particular location with the slope, it really created the recipe for rapid fire growth.”
It wasn't known yet how the fire started. The fire danger level in the Angeles National Forest was elevated from very high to critical on Aug. 1, and campfires and other burning are prohibited.
Temperatures in the area Wednesday were in the low to middle 90s, with wind gusts between 15 and 20 mph in the afternoon, weather.com senior meteorologist Chris Dolce said.
Osby said brief rainfall helped temper the fire on Thursday. But firefighters are keeping a wary eye on the weather as the forecast remains hot and dry, with temperatures in the upper 90s to lower 100s into the weekend.
An excessive heat warning has issued by the National Weather Service for Friday through Monday.
Richardson said the fire was being driven by extremely dry brush and steep terrain, and the spread was similar to wind-driven blazes that usually aren't seen until the Santa Ana winds arrive later in the season.
More than 1,000 firefighters were battling the blaze, with equipment including helicopters and bulldozers.
A local community center and a school were opened to evacuees, but due to the coronavirus pandemic they were asked to stay in their cars, the AP reported.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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