(Los Angeles) An intense fire fanned by strong winds spread in southern California on Tuesday and prompted authorities to issue an evacuation order for several thousand people.
Around 5,700 people are being asked to leave areas threatened by the flames, in a rural region southeast of Los Angeles.
The “Highland Fire”, which broke out at midday on Monday, extended over 900 hectares on Tuesday morning and was not yet at all contained by the firefighters.
The flames destroyed three buildings and six other structures were damaged.
PHOTO MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Luis Quinonez surveys the damage on his property in Aguanga, California.
More than 300 firefighters are currently battling the blaze, aided by water bombers.
The strong winds are complicating the response of firefighters, a spokeswoman for the Riverside County fire brigade told AFP.
“The biggest problem at the moment is the strong winds,” she explained. “It’s also a question of topography – the fire sinks and settles in a lot of valleys and ravines. »
Gusts of up to 50 kilometers per hour are expected during the day, according to the National Weather Service.
PHOTO MIKE BLAKE, REUTERS
Hot, dry “Santa Ana” winds are common in the fall in the southwestern United States and fuel the risk of fire in this highly fire-vulnerable region.
The last very wet winter, followed by an exceptionally wet remainder of 2023, led to explosive vegetation growth across large areas of California following years of drought.
Experts had warned that this vegetation could dry out and fuel fires, in a region very affected by climate change.
Scientists regularly point out that climate change is affecting our weather patterns, making dry periods longer and more intense and wet periods more intense.