3 major wildfires scorch Southern California, forcing tens of thousands to flee homes
Three major wildfires in California have destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate, with triple-digit temperatures fueling the blazes, officials said.
Firefighters battling the blazes, all in the mountains east of Los Angeles, took advantage of Wednesday's cooler weather to slowly gain the upper hand.
California is only now heading into the teeth of the wildfire season, but the state has already seen nearly three times as much acreage burn than during all of 2023. The wildfires have threatened tens of thousands of homes and other structures across Southern California since they accelerated during a triple-digit heat wave over the weekend.
No deaths have been reported, but at least a dozen people, mainly firefighters, have been treated for injuries, mostly heat-related, authorities said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom sent National Guard troops in to help with evacuations, and the White House said President Joe Biden was monitoring the situation.
The Bridge Fire
In the small community of Wrightwood, about 90 minutes outside Los Angeles, authorities implored residents to flee the exploding Bridge Fire, which has burned more than a dozen homes in the area. It's not yet known what started the fire, which is the third-largest blaze in California this year.
Resident Erin Arias said she was racing up the mountain when she got the order to leave and did, grabbing her passport and dog. On Wednesday, she and her husband doused water on the roof of their still-standing home. Their cat was missing, she said.
"It's absolutely scary," Arias said, looking at the burned embers of her neighbor's home. "We're really lucky."
UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said the fire moved extraordinarily fast across complex terrain, likely giving residents less time to evacuate than usual and surprising even seasoned fire officials.
The Bridge Fire "had to go up mountain sides, burn down slope, jump across valleys, burn across new ridges, and then make it down slope again at least two other times in effectively one burning period," he said.
The Airport Fire
The Airport Fire, which was reportedly sparked by heavy equipment operations, has burned more than 35 square miles of land in the Orange and Riverside counties. The fire was 5% contained as of Wednesday night, and on Thursday, cooler weather led to a "significant slowing" of the flames, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Orange County Fire Authority Incident Commander Kevin Fetterman said the blaze has been difficult to tame because of the terrain and dry conditions and because some areas hadn't burned in decades.
Eight firefighters battling the blaze have been treated for injuries, according to Orange County Fire Captain Steve Concialdi. Those injuries are mostly heat-related. One area resident was treated for smoke inhalation, and another was burned, Concialdi said. Several homes have burned in the affected area.
In El Cariso Village, a community of 250 people along Highway 74 in Riverside County, an Associated Press photographer saw at least 10 homes and several cars engulfed in flames.
Thousands of mandatory evacuation orders have been issued.
The Line Fire
In San Bernardino County, some 65,600 homes and buildings were under threat by the Line Fire, and residents along the southern edge of Big Bear Lake were told to leave Tuesday. While firefighters initially managed to keep the blaze within the San Bernardino National Forest, winds started to sweep it toward homes — leading to the first set of mandatory evacuation orders being issued Saturday, according to CBS Los Angeles.
The blaze blanketed the area with a thick cloud of dark smoke, which provided shade for firefighters trying to get ahead of winds expected later Wednesday, said Fabian Herrera, a spokesperson for those battling the Line Fire. The fire was about 18% contained as of Wednesday evening.
Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, of Norco was arrested on suspicion of causing the fire. from the town of Norco suspected of starting the Line Fire on Sept. 5 was arrested and charged with arson, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said. Officials did not specify what was used to start the fire.
Investigators collected evidence from the man's vehicle and home that suggests he could have been involved in starting other fires, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said Wednesday.
