Los Angeles - Wild fires in California spread to a second
city on Saturday after ravaging hundreds of luxury homes the day
before.
According to firefighters cited by US media, 5,000 people had to
be evacuated from the town of Sylmar just north of Los Angeles as
bush fires approached. One man suffered severe burns, US broadcaster
CNN reported.
The fires were being driven strong winds, said Deputy Fire Chief
Don Fraser, adding that the fires was moving faster than a human
could run.
Around 1,000 homes were threatened by the flames in the Sylmar
area, with 15 already engulfed.
On Friday, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a
state of emergency as more than 1,000 firefighters battled a wildfire
near the celebrity hideaway of Montecito.
Up to 200 houses had been destroyed by the wind-driven flames by
Friday night while 13 people were injured and residents from more
than 5,400 homes were evacuated. A number of residents suffered from
smoke inhalation. One man was reported dead in the area, though it
was not clear if the fire was the cause.
Hundreds of firefighters continued to battle the blaze in the
Montecito area, with witnesses reporting flames at high as 30 metres.
The fire broke out Thursday evening and had burned around 1,000
hectares by Friday morning. Firefighters poured into the area from
around the US state to battle the flames, aided by hundreds of fire
engines, nine helicopters and 10 air tankers, said Terri Nisich,
Santa Barbara County's assistant executive officer.
Montecito is situated in the coastal mountains just outside Santa
Barbara, about 145 kilometers north-east of Los Angeles and is famous
as the home to stars such as Oprah Winfrey and Rob Lowe.
USA
Your Talkback on this Story