LOWER LAKE, Calif. (AP) – A wildfire destroyed at least 10 homes and forced some 4,000 of people to flee their homes as flames jumped a road and moved into a Northern California town located miles away from a devastating wildfire almost a year ago. Some 82,000 residents were under evacuation orders at the height of the fire.
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Many residents remained in limbo, unable to go home and wondering whether anything would be left when they can.
County fire spokesman Eric Sherwin says the new figure represents a big step forward in the firefight. In Northern California, evacuation orders are beginning to be lifted on the destructive Clayton Fire that authorities believe was started by an arsonist. On the ground, firefighters and bulldozers worked to protect the ski town of Wrightwood and other areas high in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Michael Eberle, a resident of the affected area, said his family packed everything they needed to survive outside of the house, including a folder of important papers in preparation for their evacuation.
The Blue Cut Fire started the morning of August 16 in the Cajon Pass, west of Interstate 15; As of August 18, the blaze had ballooned to about 35,969 acres, with 22 percent of that contained, according to CalFire.
Meanwhile, a new fire broke out in rural Santa Barbara County, quickly surging to about 500 acres and prompting the evacuation of a pair of campgrounds.
Last year’s fire season set a record with more than 15,625 square miles of land charred.
A fleet of 10 air tankers and 15 helicopters and an army of 1,500 firefighters took on the blaze, many of them coming fresh from other wildfires around the state. “Crews really buttoned up some areas, but the possibility is still there for explosive growth”, fire spokesman Brad Pitassi said.
No deaths have been reported, although two firefighters surrounded by flames on Tuesday sustained minor injuries.
Firefighters were faced with the hard task of tallying that damage while still battling the huge, unruly blaze.
The blaze was one of 11 large wildfires burning in California, where high temperatures combined with parched conditions brought on by a five-year drought raised the fire danger.
The Blue Cut fire in California has been toiling through communities at a fast clip, destroying areas without a moment’s notice.
Greg Massialas, head of the U.S. Olympic men’s foil team that won a bronze medal in Rio, said in a statement Thursday that Porter was a critical member of the team, and it’s a shame he lost so much himself while assuring that the fencers prospered.
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The 15 Freeway, which was completely shut down Wednesday morning, was reopened to traffic in both directions on Thursday morning, Caltrans said.
