August 08, 2013 - UNITED STATES - A Southern California wildfire that left a person with head-to-toe burns and two firefighters hurt swelled Thursday to 10,000 acres and was described by authorities as completely uncontained.
About 1,500 people were told to flee mountain areas nearby, and aerial video from NBC Los Angeles showed homes erupting into flames and black plumes of smoke in the hills of Riverside County, east of Los Angeles. Wind as strong as 40 mph pushed the fire.
Earlier Thursday, fire officials said the blaze had already destroyed 15 homes. It was classified earlier in the day as burning across 6,000 acres.
The people who was burned head to toe was at a hospital burn center. Cal Fire Riverside Chief John R. Hawkins told the NBC station that the person “very, very tragically was very badly burned.”
WATCH: Powerful wildfires sweeping through Southern California.
One of the firefighters suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to the hospital, Cal Fire’s Daniel Berlant said.
The fire was first reported Tuesday afternoon.
Cal Fire said that evacuation orders had been issued for the communities of Vista Grande, Mount Edna, Poppet Flats, Twin Pines, Silent Valley and parts of Cabazon.
A map produced by Cal Fire showed several other wildfires in the state — including in Riverside County, in the Sierra National Forest, in the Stanislaus National Forest and in the Klamath National Forest.
The West has already suffered a series of destructive wildfires in 2013. Colorado experienced the most destructive wildfire in its history in June, which killed two and destroyed about 500 structures. As that fire burned, 11 other fires plagued the state and more threatened other parts of the Southwest.
The following month, 19 heavily trained Hotshot firefighters were killed in the Yarnell Hill wildfire in Arizona.
WATCH: Footage of several homes and other building being destroyed by a wildfire in Banning, California.
The fire burning over 10,000 acres, known as the Silver Fire, cut off exit routes for some people, and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department told those people to stay where they were. Highway 243 was closed, the Fire Department said.
Berlant said that more than 100 homes were in danger, but noted it was early to make such estimates.
Cal Fire said about 1,000 firefighters were on it, up from 450. There were also 84 fire engines, six air tankers and 13 helicopters in the fight.
"The biggest challenge for us is the people who are in their homes, and when we try to evacuate them, them moving on the same streets as the fire engines," Cal Fire Capt. Lucas Spelman told NBCLosAngeles.com.
The American Red Cross opened three evacuation centers.
Ashes from the fire were reported to be falling in Palm Springs, 25 miles away.
"The smoke is so thick here in Palm springs, the ashes are coming down like snow, and the air quality is really bad!!" Michelle Renee Robinson-Scruggs wrote on NBC LA’s Facebook page. - NBC News.
About 1,500 people were told to flee mountain areas nearby, and aerial video from NBC Los Angeles showed homes erupting into flames and black plumes of smoke in the hills of Riverside County, east of Los Angeles. Wind as strong as 40 mph pushed the fire.
 |
| The powerful wildfires sweeping through Southern California have scorched 6,000 acres and caused more than a thousand people to be evacuated, as firefighters work to contain the intense wall of flames. |
Earlier Thursday, fire officials said the blaze had already destroyed 15 homes. It was classified earlier in the day as burning across 6,000 acres.
The people who was burned head to toe was at a hospital burn center. Cal Fire Riverside Chief John R. Hawkins told the NBC station that the person “very, very tragically was very badly burned.”
WATCH: Powerful wildfires sweeping through Southern California.
One of the firefighters suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to the hospital, Cal Fire’s Daniel Berlant said.
The fire was first reported Tuesday afternoon.
Cal Fire said that evacuation orders had been issued for the communities of Vista Grande, Mount Edna, Poppet Flats, Twin Pines, Silent Valley and parts of Cabazon.
A map produced by Cal Fire showed several other wildfires in the state — including in Riverside County, in the Sierra National Forest, in the Stanislaus National Forest and in the Klamath National Forest.
The West has already suffered a series of destructive wildfires in 2013. Colorado experienced the most destructive wildfire in its history in June, which killed two and destroyed about 500 structures. As that fire burned, 11 other fires plagued the state and more threatened other parts of the Southwest.
The following month, 19 heavily trained Hotshot firefighters were killed in the Yarnell Hill wildfire in Arizona.
WATCH: Footage of several homes and other building being destroyed by a wildfire in Banning, California.
The fire burning over 10,000 acres, known as the Silver Fire, cut off exit routes for some people, and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department told those people to stay where they were. Highway 243 was closed, the Fire Department said.
Berlant said that more than 100 homes were in danger, but noted it was early to make such estimates.
Cal Fire said about 1,000 firefighters were on it, up from 450. There were also 84 fire engines, six air tankers and 13 helicopters in the fight.
"The biggest challenge for us is the people who are in their homes, and when we try to evacuate them, them moving on the same streets as the fire engines," Cal Fire Capt. Lucas Spelman told NBCLosAngeles.com.
 |
A
pickup truck is engulfed in flames as the Silver Fire roars through a
residential area near Hwy 243 and
Twin Pines Road between Banning and Idyllwild, Calif. on Wednesday. Frank Bellino / Press-Enterprise via AP |
The American Red Cross opened three evacuation centers.
Ashes from the fire were reported to be falling in Palm Springs, 25 miles away.
"The smoke is so thick here in Palm springs, the ashes are coming down like snow, and the air quality is really bad!!" Michelle Renee Robinson-Scruggs wrote on NBC LA’s Facebook page. - NBC News.
No comments:
Post a Comment