Southern California fire mushrooms, residents evacuated

[yuiyoshida]

LOS ANGELES: A fire burning out of control in Southern California has grown to a massive 20,000 acres, officials said Sunday (Jul 24), as residents in an area north of Los Angeles were forced to evacuate.

The blaze, which has been dubbed the "Sand Fire" after a nearby neighborhood, is only 10 per cent contained, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG).

Local media reported that a burned body had been recovered in the city of Santa Clarita, located some 35 miles (55 kilometers) from downtown Los Angeles, although it was unclear if the individual had died in the blaze.

The fire has been burning in California's Santa Clarita Valley since Friday, but has now shifted to threaten more populated areas such as the Sand Canyon neighborhood of Santa Clarita, county fire officials said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

At least 1,500 homes are threatened, the Times reported.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/southern-california-fire/2983268.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[stage left]

1. How utterly terrifying. nt

[dhill926]

2. this is a nasty one....

smoke and haze all over the southland...

[Auggie]

3. Our summer wake-up call (n/t)

[pinboy3niner]

4. Increased now to 22,000 acres, only 10% contained

Change in wind direction caused threat to more homes, new mandatory evacuations.

The 14 Freeway is now closed in both directions in the Via Princessa area.

[pinboy3niner]

5. Fire officials are saying the fire has doubled in size again

They won't have new acreage figures until tonight at the earliest, but the L.A. County Fire Chief says it has doubled--and it's the worst fire behavior he's ever seen this early in the season.

The size of the fire area is believed to be 50-70 square miles and many new evacuations are currently underway.

Local news in L.A. is now wall-to-wall coverage of the Sand Fire.

[pinboy3niner]

6. Fire getting worse, and I posted a thread on it in GD:

Southern California's Sand Fire a growing threat to people, homes
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028045486