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Heavy winds hurt efforts to contain California wildfires
2008-10-15
Firefighters struggled on Wednesday to contain deadly wildfires blazing north of Los Angeles that have forced thousands to flee their homes. Forecasts of high winds and dry, hot conditions raised fears that significant ground made on Tuesday to contain the blazes could be short-lived. "We're not out of the woods yet, we still have a lot to worry about in terms of winds, but the very good news is that we had very little damage when you think about it," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. More than 7,400 hectares (18,300 acres) have been scorched by twin blazes burning near San Fernando and Porter Ranch on the northern outskirts of Los Angeles, which have roared through tinder-dry countryside in 48 hours. One person has been killed and at least 4,000 people are believed to have been evacuated, prompting California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency in the region on Monday. "We're basically getting the perfect storm. Very strong (winds), low humidity, and heat. Those are the three elements that create those kind of fires and makes them get out of control," said Schwarzenegger. On Tuesday, firefighters said the blaze in Porter Ranch remained uncontained and had almost doubled in size to 5,400 hectares, spreading west to Simi Valley. "There are too many open fronts right now," said Inspector Ron Haralson of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The Porter Ranch blaze had completely destroyed 15 homes, 47 outbuildings and 41 vehicles, he said, adding that six other homes had been damaged. A lull in winds around the second fire, 15 miles (24 kilometers) to the east near San Fernando, allowed firefighters on Tuesday to contain about 80 percent of the blaze, which had destroyed some 2,000 hectares and 38 mobile homes. The National Weather Service predicted that winds -- packing speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (113 kilometers per hour) -- will abate later Wednesday, but that the mercury will rise further with still no rain in sight. "We are prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at us," Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said. "It depends on the winds. In this situation, wind is king. The winds could even be benevolent." What sparked the two fires is unknown. They are among several burning across southern California that have broken out since Sunday. The biggest of the other fires near the US Marine Corps' sprawling Camp Pendleton base outside San Diego, was close to being brought under control. Some 1,600 hectares went up in flames, but evacuation orders for more than 1,000 homes have been lifted. California is frequently hit by scorching wildfires due to its dry climate, powerful local winds -- called the Santa Ana -- and housing booms that have seen buildings springing up in rural and densely forested areas. The latest blazes come roughly one year after wildfires among the worst in California's history left eight people dead, destroyed 2,000 homes, displaced 640,000 people and caused one billion dollars (735 million euros) in damage. In June and July this year, a series of about 2,000 fires raged across the state, scorching some 900,000 acres of land.
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