Southern California Wildfires Relentless

Firefighters battle a fire in Santa Barbara, California.

Photo: AP Photo / Mark J. Terrill

related articles

The Santa Ana "Devil Winds" refused to let up, and Southern California continued to be engulfed in flames this weekend, as one of the most destructive outbreaks of wildfire in the region continues.

Three fires had burned nearly 36,000 acres and at least 720 homes, according to the Los Angeles Times. Nearly 40 people had been injured and 26,000 ordered to evacuate in the Orange County area alone.

Firefighters — and wary residents — were hopeful that the subsiding of the Santa Ana winds, which channel hot dry inland air toward the coast, would prevent further damage. But the air remains hot and dry, even if the winds have subsided. The greatest threat Monday, according to the Times, is in the Diamond Bar, Chino Hills and Brea areas, where the Freeway Complex Fire is raging. The Sayre Fire near Sylmar was 40% contained, and the Tea Fire 80% contained.

While the fires began as a threat to the wealthy, as flames tore through elite celebrity-studded enclaves, the damage grew egalitarian as the flames claimed trailer parks and houses of all sizes as they raced across the landscape.

Read the full account in the L.A. Times.

COMMENTS ()