Wildfires prompt evacuations and warnings of worse to come as strong winds and hot temperatures create tinderbox
Firefighters are battling to control a brush fire which has scorched homes, vehicles and thousands of acres of wilderness near Los Angeles, prompting evacuations and warnings of worse to come.
Authorities were preparing for a "worst-case scenario" on Thursday as a blaze dubbed the "Springs fire" menaced the 101 freeway along Camarillo, a city in Ventura County, and raced towards the coast. Smaller fires blazed elsewhere.
The Red Cross set up evacuation centres and about 500 firefighters tried to protect hundreds of homes from the flames. Officials made contingency plans to shut the Pacific Coast Highway and ordered people to leave Dos Vientos and California State University Channel Islands.
"We advise anybody in the area to be prepared. Wildfires are very unpredictable – we don't know what direction it's going to go," Ventura County fire department spokesman Bill Nash told reporters. "We really want people to be prepared. It's better to do it now before a sheriff's deputy is knocking on your door."
The Camarillo fire started around 6.30am and rapidly spread, consuming 2000 acres of wilderness, its progress reported on the Twitter hashtag #SpringsFire.
"Winds are swirling and twisting, and we don't know what way it's going to turn. We're kind of at Mother Nature's mercy at this point," said Tom Kruschke, another fire department spokesman.
A smaller fire in Jurupa valley destroyed seven buildings, 10 vehicles and a boat but by midday was said to be 50% under control.
Another fire in Riverside County has burnt about 3,000 acres since Wednesday. Two firefighters were injured battling it.
Strong, dry winds and hot temperatures, following southern California's driest winter in years, have turned swathes of wilderness into a tinderbox.
The National Weather Service issued a red-flag "extremely high fire danger" warning for LA and Ventura counties. "The red flag conditions will continue through Friday afternoon since humidities are expected to remain extremely low with little or no overnight recoveries and daytime temperatures ranging from 90 to 100 degrees."