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full screen Fire smoke near Santa Clarita north of Los Angeles. Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP/TT
Close to 19,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes after a new large fire quickly spread north of Los Angeles. At the same time, there is a warning of approaching rain.
The fire broke out early Wednesday and in less than two hours grew to more than 2,000 acres in the mountains around Castaic Lake north of Santa Clarita.
The progress of the fire was accelerated by the dry and strong so-called Santa Ana winds that also worsened the fires that destroyed thousands of homes in Los Angeles earlier in January – blazes that are still raging.
In Los Angeles, authorities are simultaneously warning of rain this weekend. With the rain comes new strong winds that risk flaring the fires.
Rainfall will not be sufficient to help extinguishing efforts, however, the water may cause mudslides in areas where trees and other vegetation have been burned and cannot stop the mud from flowing forward. In several places, therefore, sandbags are placed as barriers, the municipality states.
– When the fires have subsided, new challenges will arise, says responsible Kathryn Barger.
– Rain is forecast and the threat of mud and debris flowing into the fire-affected areas is real.