Firefighters battle fierce wildfires across California

Firefighters on Friday battled several wildfires raging across California that destroyed homes and forced evacuations, as more than 18 million people were under a red flag warning in the southern part of the state.

Some 50,000 people were ordered to flee the flames near Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles, as the so-called Tick Fire scorched 4,300 acres (1,740 hectares) and was only five percent contained early on Friday.

The blaze forced the shutdown of all schools in the area as well as a major freeway, creating a traffic nightmare for morning commuters.

New evacuations in the area were ordered early on Friday as the fire that began on Thursday continued to spread, driven by so-called Santa Ana winds gusting up to 65 miles (105 kilometers) per hour.

Some 600 firefighters backed by air tankers and helicopters were battling the flames that threatened 10,000 structures, officials said.

Six homes were destroyed, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby told a news conference, adding that the number was expected to rise.

At least four other fires have erupted in southern California this week, fueled by high temperatures in the 80s and 90s Fahrenheit (above 30 Celsius) and bone-dry conditions.

A red flag warning indicating ripe conditions for wildfire was in effect for more than 18 million people in the southern part of the state until Friday evening.

Another four wildfires have erupted in the northern part of the state. The most serious — the Kincaid Fire — broke out late Wednesday in the Sonoma wine region, also prompting evacuations.

The National Weather Service warned that although wind speeds were set to decrease later on Friday, they were expected to pick up again on Sunday and Monday in the southern part of the state.

“It looks like another Santa Ana is coming,” meteorologist Eric Boldt told AFP. “Right now, we’re looking at moderate strength winds (Sunday and Monday), nothing like what we are experiencing right now.”

Still, he added, the state remains “critically dry” with little humidity, creating an environment ripe for large and dangerous fire growth.

The high risk of fires has led to preemptive power cuts to thousands of customers and prompted the governor to declare a state of emergency in Sonoma and Los Angeles counties.

Governor Gavin Newsom traveled to Sonoma on Friday to visit areas impacted by the Kincaid Fire which has grown to nearly 22,000 acres and was only five percent contained.

The ferocious blaze, which is burning in remote steep terrain, has destroyed nearly 50 structures.

The entire town of Geyserville and nearby vineyards were forced to flee the fast-moving flames.

“We looked up the hill and couldn’t believe what we saw,” ranch owner Dwight Monson, 68, told the Los Angeles Times, saying the fire moved 14 miles in five hours before destroying four homes and a barn on his property.

The state’s largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., said it was inspecting lines and restoring service after shutting off power to 180,000 customers in northern California to reduce the risk of accidental fires.

The power shutoffs were ordered after the company’s electrical equipment was blamed for several fires in the state in recent years.

This week’s fires have erupted as California is still recovering from wildfires in 2017 and 2018 that killed more than 100 people.

The fires have been fueled by years of drought and dry vegetation.

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