US: State of emergency declared over California wildfire

NEW YORK

A wildfire that within hours rapidly spread across thousands of acres in California, prompted the mandatory evacuation of 82,000 residents and the declaration of a state of emergency, authorities said Tuesday

The Blue Cut Fire in Cajon Pass, San Bernardino, spread to 9,000 acres and remains 0 percent contained, according to a tweet by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant.

The fire “has burned several homes and threatens thousands of structures” and “has caused injuries to firefighters and destroyed firefighting equipment”, according to the state of emergency statement issued by the state’s governor’s office.

A number of mountain communities including Wrightwood, a town of 4,500 residents famous for its ski slopes, have been severely effected by the fire that also shut down a portion of Interstate 15, the main highway between southern California and Las Vegas, The Associated Press reported.

Meanwhile, evacuations enforced due to another fire in Lake County were partially lifted after the blaze showed signs of fading, Berlant said.

He said the Clayton Fire in Lake County spread across 4,000 acres and is 35 percent contained in an operation that involved more than 2,300 personnel.

Wildfires are common in California in the summer months, but 2016 has been particularly difficult with nearly 4,000 fires as of Aug. 13 that also caused a number of casualties.

On Aug. 15, the National Interagency Fire Center listed California as the leading state for size, quantity and intensity of wildfires.