LOS ANGELES, May 17 (NNN-Xinhua) — About 1,000 people were evacuated from their homes in the US state of California Sunday morning due to a wildfire, said the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
The affected area is at Topanga State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains, approximately 35 kilometers west of downtown Los Angeles, said the LAFD, noting that the fire, dubbed Palisades Fires, has spread to 3.4 square kilometers with zero percent containment at the time.
The fire, first reported Friday night in a remote area in the Santa Monica Mountains with only 0.04 square kilometers, was thought being controlled under a cool and moist overnight weather, but a flare-up Saturday afternoon sent flames spilling over firefighters’ control lines, sparking a multi-agency response from the ground and the air.
However, few hours later, the blaze had exploded to 3.03 square kilometers and flames were threatening structures in the Topanga Canyon area.
The LAFD predicted that the situation could be worse since the weather condition would change, “the vegetation in the area is very dry and has not burned in 50+ years,” and ground operations had been hindered by crews having to deal with steep terrain that is difficult to navigate.
No structures had been damaged as of Sunday morning, and no injuries were reported, the LAFD said, adding “the fire cause is deemed to be a ‘suspicious start’ and it remains an open, active investigation.” — NNN-XINHUA