'Out of control' Southern California fire explodes as growing blazes force tens of thousands to flee
Source: Washington Post
By Max Ufberg, Mark Berman, Eli Rosenberg and Noah Smith December 5 at 10:20 PM
VENTURA, Calif. — Ferocious fires tore through Southern California on Tuesday, burning massive stretches of land in a matter of hours and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes.
Firefighters in multiple locations in the region battled fires that were spurred by dry and windy conditions, officials said. In Ventura County, the Thomas Fire burned more than 50,000 acres, and on the outskirts of Los Angeles County, the Creek Fire enveloped more than 11,000 acres north of the city’s downtown. Another fire in the county, dubbed the Rye Fire, had cut through 5,000 acres near the city of Santa Clarita by Tuesday evening.
Authorities issued ominous warnings of more dangers to come during a “multiday event” across the area, as weather forecasters said the region faces “extreme fire danger” through at least Thursday because of intense Santa Ana winds and low humidity that could cause the fires to grow rapidly.
The wildfires are the latest grim chapter in a brutal year for California, coming just months after deadly blazes in the state’s wine country killed dozens of people and razed thousands of buildings. Many parts of the state experienced record temperatures over the summer and in the fall; a sweltering heat wave brought cities in the Los Angeles area above 100 degrees as recently as late October.
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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/12/05/out-of-control-southern-california-brush-fire-grows-from-50-to-25000-acres-in-7-hours/
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