Strong Santa Ana winds howled through parts of Southern California Thursday, creating yet another round of dangerous fire weather conditions and fueling a fast-moving fire in Ventura County on Thursday night.
Red flag warnings for the fire danger were posted by the National Weather Service in parts of Southern California. The NWS said a red flag warning in effect for wind-prone parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties would continue through Friday.
A new fire, the Maria Fire, started in Ventura County just southeast of Santa Paula about 6:30 p.m. local time Thursday night, CBS Los Angeles reported. As of 11 p.m., the fire had already burned more than six square miles and was spreading rapidly, according to Cal Fires.Mandatory evacuations covered a large area late Thursday night west of the fire, across the Santa Clara River from Santa Paula and north of Camarillo.
About 1800 structures and 7500 residents were within the mandatory evacuation zone that existed as of 11 p.m., according to the Ventura County Fire Department.Winds gusted to 48 mph at Oak Mountain in Los Angeles County on Thursday, and relative humidity plummeted toward the single digits. Gusts hit 52 mph on Happy Camp Road in the Ventura County mountains.
"These winds will result in a significant threat for large fast-moving fires and wind damage (like downed trees, power lines and broken signs or overhangs)," warned the Oxnard/Los Angeles NWS forecast office.
No comments:
Post a Comment