A devastating fire rages near Los Angeles, threatening thousands of people. The flames, fanned by violent winds, have already ravaged dozens of homes. Firefighters are fighting a fierce battle against the fire, but the situation remains critical. Mass evacuations continue, plunging the region into chaos…
A catastrophic fire broke out Wednesday near the town of Camarillo, northwest of Los Angeles, California. Named “Mountain Fire”, this blaze has already forced thousands of people to flee their homes in the face of the rapid progression of the flames. Fanned by violent winds gusting up to 130 km/h, the fire has already consumed nearly 8,100 hectares and destroyed dozens of homes.
A night of anxiety for residents
For many residents, the night from Wednesday to Thursday was synonymous with an agonizing vigil. Erica Preciado, a resident of the region, testifies with emotion of these trying hours:
We stayed up all night watching what was happening. I didn't sleep. We're just trying to get to safety. I didn't even know what to take. I just put everything I could into my car.
Her tears speak volumes about the dismay and fear that grip the thousands of people forced to hastily leave their homes, without knowing what will remain of them when they return.
Dozens of houses went up in smoke
While the exact toll remains to be established, there is little doubt that the “Mountain Fire” has already caused numerous victims among homes in the region. According to estimates, dozens, even a hundred houses were ravaged by the flames. A man, his voice breaking with grief, confides on camera:
Everything is gone. Everything is gone. The house I lived in for 27 years is no more.
A bitter and heartbreaking observation, shared by too many victims whose memories and most precious possessions have gone up in smoke.
A relentless fight against the flames
Faced with this blaze of rare intensity, Ventura County firefighters are fighting tirelessly. As Dustin Gardner, their leader, points out:
We are devoting all our resources to this fire.
Hundreds of firefighters are on the bridge, supported by helicopters dropping water, to try to defend threatened homes. But the scale of the task is such that even the fire hydrants have been emptied, forcing water to be transported by trucks to the various fronts.
The threatening vagaries of the Santa Ana winds
The firefighters' efforts were made even more complicated by the fact that the fire was fanned by the formidable Santa Ana winds. These hot, dry gusts, typical of fall in Southern California, are known for turning the slightest spark into an uncontrollable blaze. Extreme weather conditions which should fortunately ease gradually.
California, State of Fires
Unfortunately, this type of disaster has become almost routine for Californians. After two years of relative respite thanks to rainy winters, the fire season has started again with a vengeance, fueled by vegetation that has become highly flammable under the effect of drought and repeated heat waves.
A hellish cycle, worsened by global warming, which regularly transforms the “Golden State” into a hell of flames and smoke. Like a cruel reminder that even the Californian paradise is not spared from the fires.
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