The Lake Fire burns in mountains north of Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A California wildfire forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes as it raged largely unchecked through densely forested mountains north of Los Angeles that last burned some 50 to 100 years ago, fire officials said.
The blaze has scorched some 4,249 hectares since erupting on Wednesday afternoon near Lake Hughes in the Angeles National Forest. As of Thursday afternoon, it remained at zero per cent containment, despite a light morning rain over the area, US Forest Service spokesman Andrew Mitchell said.
Temperatures in the region were expected to rise above 37.8 degrees Celsius later in the day, he said.
“This will be a major fire for several days,” US Forest Service regional Fire Chief Robert Garcia told reporters.
The precise cause of the blaze, dubbed the Lake Fire, was under investigation, though human activity was likely to blame, Mitchell said.
No casualties were reported but the blaze prompted the mandatory evacuation of some 500 homes in communities about 65km north of downtown Los Angeles, Mitchell said.
Thick, extremely dry vegetation, some of which has not burned in about a century, was fuelling the flames that roared swiftly up steep canyons and hillsides, he said.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said the fire had destroyed several structures, though many were saved “because of the actions of the firefighters last night, who were up all night.”
The Angeles National Forest, covering some 283,280 hectares, is a popular outdoor destination for millions who live in the sprawling LA metropolitan area on its southern flanks.
In drought-stricken Colorado, the Grizzly Creek Fire, burning near Glenwood Springs, about 241km west of Denver, has blackened 2,530 hectares, according to the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center. The blaze forced officials to close a 40-kilometre stretch of Interstate 70, the main east-west highway through the mountain corridor.
Firefighters had zero containment, and flames threatened a power plant and some residential subdivisions, authorities said. — NNN-AGENCIES
