Two deadly wildfires continued to burn largely out of control in California on Wednesday – driven by tinder-dry conditions and hurricane-strength winds.
In the south, the Woolsey Fire ripped through 50 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains in 30 minutes on Tuesday morning as gusts of 85mph caused a flare-up, even as thousands of people were allowed back to their homes.
Meanwhile in the north, six more bodies were found among the ashes of Paradise – a town completely incinerated by the fire – bringing the death toll from that fire alone to 48, the deadliest in state history.
The state-wide death toll now stands at 50, including a couple who died in the Woolsey Fire, though more than 200 people are still unaccounted for.
The Woolsey Fire was 40 percent contained at 8pm Tuesday having already torched an area the size of Denver, with high winds expected to continue into Wednesday before dying out.
The Camp Fire was just 35 percent contained, as infrared satellite images revealed some of the destruction the fire has caused and the ferocity of the flames firefighters are battling.
The Woolsey fire continued to burn largely out of control in southern California on Tuesday night after hurricane-strength winds fanned flames in the Santa Monica Mountains, causing a flare-up which burned 50 acres in 30 minutes (pictured left)
Palls of smoke poured off the mountains on Tuesday morning as the fire whipped itself up, even as thousands of people further to the east were allowed to return to their homes
The blaze (seen on Tuesday) has prompted new evacuations at the same time thousands of residents are finally being allowed back into their neighborhoods after the Woolsey Fire first ignited on Tuesday
Authorities believe the new flare-up (pictured) was caused by what are known as ‘red flag conditions’, in which low humidity and high winds combine to make the perfect conditions for a wildland fire combustion
Meanwhile satellite images revealed the extent of the devastation near Paradise, in the north of the state. The left image shows the community of Magalia, just next to Paradise, back in December. The image on the right shows an infrared image of the flames in Magalia on Friday, by which time Paradise itself – seen bottom left – was already destroyed
A NASA satellite took this image of the Camp Fire on Monday. The town of Paradise, where the majority of those killed in the blaze have been found, was covered by a thick pall of smoke
This image was released by NASA on Tuesday but was taken last week, on November 9, and shows smoke rising from both the Camp and Woolsey fires at either end of the state
Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott told Fox News that there is ‘no end in sight’ for the dry weather which has turned California into a tinder-box.
Authorities believe the flare-up was caused by what are known as ‘red flag conditions’, in which low humidity and high winds combine to make the perfect conditions for a wildland fire combustion.
‘It’s critically dry with incredibly strong winds, so that really puts us back into a day where we could see rapid fire spread as a result of any new fires or flare-ups,’ Cal Fire Division Chief Chris Anthony told the Los Angeles Times.
‘We are not out of the woods yet,’ added Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen. ‘We still have incredibly tough conditions ahead of us.’
Thankfully firefighters were already in a nearby area and quickly responded to the newest blaze. A red flag warning will remain in effect in the region until 5pm on Wednesday.
Red flag warnings were also raised in the San Diego area through Wednesday and San Diego Gas & Electric has begun shutting down electricity in fire-prone areas. …..More Here
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