Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes east of Los Angeles due to an out-of-control wildfire that has burned large swaths of forest.
In Southern California, which is currently experiencing an intense heat wave, the so-called “Rhine Fire” has scorched an area around the San Bernardino National Forest, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.
As of Monday morning, the fire had scorched more than 23,000 acres of grassland and brush and blanketed the area with thick, black smoke.
Only 3 percent of the forest is contained, leaving more than 36,000 structures at risk, including single-family homes, apartment complexes and commercial buildings, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
In Northern California, firefighters were able to contain a small but fast-spreading fire that broke out Sunday and burned at least 30 homes and commercial buildings and destroyed 40 to 50 vehicles. The 76-acre Boyles Fire, which was at least 40% contained by Monday morning, forced the evacuation of about 4,000 people in the Clear Lake area.
Meanwhile, state officials are bracing for even more severe temperatures in an area already hit by days of extreme heat that creates conditions for fires to ignite.
“We know we’re going to have triple-digit temperatures again today, so it’s really important that we get this work done at night when it’s cooler,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief Brent Pascua told CBS Monday morning.
“We had helicopters back last night dropping water so we’re hopeful that containment will be successful.”
The situation is being exacerbated by thunderstorms that are generating winds that are fanning the flames and temperatures in Los Angeles that have topped 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius), according to Cal Fire. Scientists have warned that persistent heatwaves caused by the climate crisis are contributing to larger and longer-lasting fires in the Western US.
California wildfires were burning at such high temperatures on Saturday that they spawned their own thunderstorm-like weather system, which could produce more severe conditions, including gusty winds and lightning, according to the National Weather Service.
Authorities said firefighters were limited in their efforts to fight the blaze as they battled steep terrain with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees (38 Celsius). State fire marshals said three firefighters were injured.
Evacuation orders were issued Saturday evening for Running Springs, Arrowbear Lake, areas east of Highway 330 and other areas.
Running Springs resident Steven Michael King had planned to stay until Sunday morning to fight the fire and assist neighbors, but the blaze spread. King had been preparing his home to prevent damage from the fire, but decided to leave when he feared he might not be able to find his escape route later because of the smoke.
“It came down to which was worse: being locked up or being in a shelter,” King said Sunday outside the shelter. “The situation changed, so I had to make a quick decision. I could just take a couple of packs, and they would all fit in a grocery cart.”
Joseph Escobedo said his family has lived in Angelus Oaks for about three years and has never had to evacuate because of a wildfire. His family, which has three young children, was one of the few that had not evacuated as of Sunday afternoon.
“It’s kind of scary that we might lose our home and everything we’ve worked so hard for,” Escobedo said as she and her family packed up supplies to evacuate. “It’s hard to evacuate and not know if you’ll be able to come back.”
The affected area is near a small mountain town in the San Bernardino National Forest where Southern California residents go skiing in the winter and mountain biking in the summer. Running Springs is on the route to the popular ski resort of Big Bear.
Smoke was already blanketing downtown San Bernardino, and Joe Franco, an employee at Noah’s Restaurant, said he had friends in the surrounding evacuation zone preparing to leave at any moment.
“They’re just hanging in there and getting ready to move stuff,” Franco said. “Usually they’d be here, but today there weren’t many people here.”
The Redlands Unified School District canceled classes for about 20,000 students on Monday, and Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino County.
A new fire broke out in the scorching heat in Southern California’s Angeles National Forest on Sunday. The fire burning north of the city of Glendora in Los Angeles County had grown to 820 acres as of Monday and was not under control.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department ordered campers and residents of nearby riverside communities to evacuate, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Meanwhile, about 20 miles from Reno, Nevada, the Davis Fire, which started Sunday afternoon, has grown to about 10 square miles (26 square kilometers). It started in Davis Creek Regional Park in the Washoe Valley and was burning among dense trees and brush, firefighters said. It also remains under control.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombard declared a state of emergency for Washoe County on Sunday, announcing that about 20,000 people had been evacuated from neighborhoods, businesses, parks and campgrounds. Parts of South Reno remained under evacuation orders Monday, and some homes, businesses and traffic signals in the area were without power, firefighters said.
The Associated Press contributed reporting