Flames are racing along the southern California coastline as firefighters work to contain the fast-moving Woolsey Fire. The blaze has already scorched 83,275 acres on the outskirts of Los Angeles. There was 10% containment of the Woolsey Fire as of Sunday morning.
Authorities downgraded the Hill Fire to 4,500 acres burned in Ventura County. Firefighters had reached 70% containment of that blaze by Sunday morning.
They’re just two of thousands of California wildfires recorded this year. Meanwhile, to the north, the Camp Fire has killed 23 people and leveled the entire town of Paradise.
Both of the LA-area fires started Thursday afternoon, and two deaths have been reported. Many people had to leave behind their beloved pets and homes and flee.
Here’s a glimpse at the devastation in southern California so far.
The beach city of Malibu is home to about 13,000 people. On Friday, as flames from the Woolsey Fire raced towards the coast, the entire town was forced to evacuate.
Shortly after noon on Friday, the City of Malibu said on its website that the “fire is now burning out of control and heading into populated areas of Malibu. All residents must evacuate immediately.”
Source: Business Insider
Stars including Alyssa Milano, Melissa Etheridge, director Guillermo del Toro, and the Kardashian sisters all had to leave their homes in the area.
Milano said she packed up her “kids, dogs, computer,” and Doc Marten boots and headed for shelter.
Sources: @Alyssa_Milano, @RealGDT, Business Insider, @metheridge
By late Friday night, the LA County Sheriff’s Department said a “very significant number of homes” in the path of the fire have been damaged or destroyed. More than 200,000 people and 75,000 homes were under mandatory evacuation orders.
Source: VCFD PIO
Strong Santa Ana winds that blew from the state’s interior toward the coast fanned the Woolsey Fire flames over the weekend.
Source: Associated Press
As of 10 p.m. local time on Friday night, the Woolsey Fire was 0% contained. By Sunday morning, it was just 10% contained.
By Sunday morning, fire officials said the Woolsey Fire had grew to 130 square miles.
Source: Assocated Press
Firefighters went door to door urging people in the Malibu area to evacuate via the Pacific Coast Highway, which was turned into a 4-lane one-way road to safety.
Nearby, in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area, the National Park Service said that “Western Town,” a movie set used in the popular show Westworld, had burned to the ground.
Source: Twitter
On its website, LA County says there’s no such thing as a wildfire season anymore — “fire season is now year-round.”
Source: LA County
Two people have been found dead in the Woolsey fire, which is hitting Malibu mansions and working-class Los Angele Suburbs.
Source: Associated Press
Huge plumes of smoke powered by a return of the Santa Ana winds rose across Los Angeles as the Woolsey Fire raced on.
Source: Associated Press
To the north, residents of Paradise, California ran for their lives on foot and packed into cars to escape the Camp Fire. At least nine people died, including five people who burned to death in and around their cars, fire authorities said Friday night.
Source: Business Insider
The loss of structures in the Southern California fires grew to 180 on Sunday.
Source: Associated Press
A dry summer left vegetation in California extremely dry, which helped the fires grow.
Source: Associated Press
Aircraft were brought into the area to drop lines of fire retardant as flames pushed through bush lands.
Source: Associated Press
These fires are part of a trend: Wildfires are getting bigger and stronger as the planet heats up. The worst blaze in California history happened earlier this year, when the Mendocino Complex fire burned down more than 410,000 acres.
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