A new fire broke out on Wednesday north of Los Angeles and is spreading at high speed, causing thousands of evacuation orders in a region already shaken by devastating fires.
In a few hours, the flames have already ravaged more than 3,800 hectares in the surroundings of Lake Castaic. They are fanned by the hot, dry Santa Ana winds which continue to blow across the region, pushing a large cloud of smoke above the blaze.
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Evacuation orders have been issued to more than 31,000 people living in areas around the lake, located about fifty kilometers north of Los Angeles and near the city of Santa Clarita.
More than 4,600 firefighters are engaged on site, assisted by planes and helicopters relentlessly dropping water and fire retardant on the area.
Strong wind alert
The gusts are expected to strengthen in the evening, and the weather service has issued a strong wind warning until Friday morning. Enough to test the nerves of residents, at a time when Los Angeles is barely recovering from fires which broke out in early January and disfigured part of the city, killing nearly thirty people.
>> A lire : In the grip of fires, Los Angeles worries about new “critical” winds
The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, assured that he was “monitoring the situation closely”, while the fire chief of Los Angeles County, Anthony Marrone, for his part, wanted to reassure on Wednesday evening. “The situation remains changing and the fire remains difficult to contain, but we are gaining the upper hand,” he assured.
-Due to the recent fires in Los Angeles, many firefighters, helicopters and Canadairs from all over the western United States are still on site, which makes it easier to fight the flames.
Prisons threatened by flames
Near the lake, four prisons housing around 4,700 people are threatened by the fire. One of them was evacuated and its 500 inmates were transferred to another structure, according to Sheriff Luna. Inmates from other prisons are currently being held there, but buses have been sent to evacuate them if necessary.
The flames cut several roads and caused the temporary closure of a section of highway in the region. The cause of the fire is currently unknown.
Firefighters will “remain on site all night” on Wednesday to contain the flames, but their effectiveness “will depend on the weather conditions”, said Anthony Marrone.
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