The winds subsided in virtually all parts of the state on Thursday and forecasters anticipated at least a week of calm weather, though there was no rain in the forecast that would reduce the threat of fall fires, SIA reports.
However, winds lingered in some mountainous areas and they were blamed for driving a new wildfire that threatened homes Thursday night north of Los Angeles.The fire on a hilltop near Santa Paula in Ventura County quickly grew to about 6 square miles (16 square kilometres).It threatened the small, unincorporated community of Somis and prompted evacuation orders for about 7,500 people in an area that includes roughly 1,800 buildings, authorities said.
Hundreds of firefighters raced to battle the flames, aided by bulldozers and water-dropping helicopters.The most devastating wildfires in California's history have occurred in the past two years in the fall, fueled by a combination of built-up brush, dry conditions and extreme winds. The anniversary of the deadliest of those — last year's fire that torched the town of Paradise and killed 85 — is next week.The state experienced a wet winter with a large snowpack and temperatures and wind speeds didn't spike simultaneously over the summer, which has led a less destructive fire season overall.
Acreage burned this year is down nearly 90% from last year and 80% below the five-year average over the same period, according to figures compiled through Sunday by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.The moisture, however, has fueled explosive growth of grasses that have now shrivelled into golden and brown tinder.With virtually no rain in October and bursts of erratic winds, fires sprang up across the state, forcing residents to flee homes at all hours as flames indiscriminately burned barns, sheds, mobile homes and multimillion-dollar mansions.
The blaze that destroyed dozens of trailers in Villa Calimesa Mobile Home Park east of Los Angeles and killed two people was started when a trash truck dumped a flaming load of garbage that spread to grass and was swiftly whipped out of control by winds.A fire that broke out Thursday in Jurupa Valley, not far from Calimesa, was caused when two of Southern California's quintessential themes — car chases and Santa Ana winds — collided as a hot car came to a halt in a field and ignited dry grasses.
Wildfires occurred even as many were in the dark from the intentional outages.In places where the power stayed on, utility lines and other electrical equipment were suspected or confirmed as the cause of several fires, including the one in Sonoma, another that started on a hillside above the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles and one that burned around the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley on Wednesday.
More than 350,000 people statewide remained without power Thursday, most in Southern California where winds were not expected to die until sundown.Winds were gusting up to 60 mph (96 kph) early Thursday morning when two fires broke out in the heavily populated inland region east of Los Angeles.The fire started by the stolen car burned three homes and forced residents to temporarily flee.Another early morning fire in San Bernardino destroyed six homes and forced about 1,300 people to evacuate, but they were allowed to return home later. The cause was under investigation.While the fires are not out, progress was heading in the right direction, said Scott Ross, a spokesman for CalFire.
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