The new fire in Brentwood and Bel Air that closed the 405 (San Diego Freeway) is unbelievable for the Los Angeles area and makes everyone feel very insecure. Fires in Malibu canyon or in La Crescenta near the 8000 plus foot mountains there is more normal but a fire in Brentwood beyond one structure fire at a time is pretty unbelievable and makes everyone in Los Angeles County scared for their home or apartment. This is so strange it is literally unbelievable this is happening today.
Dec. 6 (UPI) --California Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for …
Calif. governor declares emergency as 50K-acre wildfire grows near LA
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A firefighter works as a home burns during the Thomas Fire in Ventura, Calif. Photo by John Cetrino/EPA
Dec. 6 (UPI) -- California Gov. Jerry Brown
has declared a state of emergency for a wildfire that's charred more
than 50,000 acres near Greater Los Angeles, killed one person and
injured a firefighter -- and shows little sign of slowing down.
On Wednesday, several homes in Los Angeles' Bel-Air area were burning as the Skirball fire caused the closure of the 405 Freeway as well as evacuations -- covering 50 acres by 8 a.m.
"It's been years since anything here has burned at all," Los Angeles
Fire Department Capt. Cody Weireter said. "You've got heavy, heavy
brush, you've got the dryness - obviously, we haven't had any rain at
all. A lot of the fire is topography-driven, which already becomes
dangerous. The wind is going to increase that twofold."
The Thomas Fire has so far ravaged Ventura County, with the help of strong winds. Officials said the flames have destroyed nearly 200 homes.
Late Tuesday it had reached Solimar Beach near the Pacific Ocean. Brown's emergency declaration covers Ventura County.
As of Tuesday evening, the fire was zero percent contained.
"This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we'll continue to attack it with all we've got," Brown said. "It's critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so."
Nearly 200,000 people have been ordered to leave. At least one person has died in the fire and one firefighter was injured.
The strong winds are expected to remain constant through Thursday, peaking at night, before they begin to subside Friday.
The 50-mph winds not only helped spread the fire but they also grounded air tankers. Wind gusts blasting L.A.-area hilltops reached nearly 70 mph, officials said. More than 1,100 firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze.
In the past few years, rain has come before the Santa Ana winds. This year, however, none has fallen in three months -- making firefighters' work even more challenging.
Some say the destructive blaze is unlike anything they have seen before.
"We've lived in Ventura for 19 years," resident Mike Patterson said. "We've had a couple fires, but nothing like this."
Two firefighters were injured battling the Creek Fire, another blaze that has popped up in Los Angeles.
On Wednesday, several homes in Los Angeles' Bel-Air area were burning as the Skirball fire caused the closure of the 405 Freeway as well as evacuations -- covering 50 acres by 8 a.m.
The Thomas Fire has so far ravaged Ventura County, with the help of strong winds. Officials said the flames have destroyed nearly 200 homes.
Late Tuesday it had reached Solimar Beach near the Pacific Ocean. Brown's emergency declaration covers Ventura County.
As of Tuesday evening, the fire was zero percent contained.
"This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we'll continue to attack it with all we've got," Brown said. "It's critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so."
Nearly 200,000 people have been ordered to leave. At least one person has died in the fire and one firefighter was injured.
The strong winds are expected to remain constant through Thursday, peaking at night, before they begin to subside Friday.
The 50-mph winds not only helped spread the fire but they also grounded air tankers. Wind gusts blasting L.A.-area hilltops reached nearly 70 mph, officials said. More than 1,100 firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze.
In the past few years, rain has come before the Santa Ana winds. This year, however, none has fallen in three months -- making firefighters' work even more challenging.
Some say the destructive blaze is unlike anything they have seen before.
"We've lived in Ventura for 19 years," resident Mike Patterson said. "We've had a couple fires, but nothing like this."
Two firefighters were injured battling the Creek Fire, another blaze that has popped up in Los Angeles.
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Topics: Jerry Brown
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