Since it began on Saturday, a fire in Los Angeles County that resulted in the evacuation of hundreds of people from a state park has burnt over 15,000 acres, according to authorities.
The Post Fire has Burned 15,000 Acres:
Authorities said that since it began on Saturday, a fire in Los Angeles County that resulted in the evacuation of hundreds of people from a state park had burnt over 15,000 acres. As of Monday night, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, reported that the Post Fire had consumed 15,611 acres and was 20% controlled.
Section Chief Kenichi Ballew-Haskett of the Los Angeles County Fire Department told CNN on Monday morning that over a thousand firefighters are now on the site, and more are on their way. “We’re informing people that they must leave if we have to issue a mandatory evacuation order,” Ballew-Haskett stated. She advised locals to prepare their mobile phones, backpacks, and full petrol tanks. “If law enforcement requests that you leave or the sheriffs arrive, it indicates that danger is approaching.” A wildfire broke out Saturday afternoon in the unincorporated hamlet of Gorman, northwest of Los Angeles County. Cal Fire reports that the cause of the fire is still being looked into.
Statement from the Los Angeles County Fire Department:
Cal Fire reported that 1,200 people were evacuated from Hungry Valley Park by California State Park Services. The Los Angeles County Fire Department said that the fire had caused damage to two commercial premises by Saturday night.
Locations south of Pyramid Lake between Old Ridge Route and the Los Angeles County border are under evacuation warnings. In contrast, locations west of Interstate 5 between Pyramid Lake and Gorman are under evacuation orders. As per the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, further evacuation orders were given out on Monday afternoon for the region just north of the Templin Highway, east of the County line, west of I-5, and south of Pyramid Lake.
Although the fire is not growing beyond its boundaries as of Monday afternoon, firefighters are still worried about solid gusts predicted to persist until Tuesday afternoon, Fire Public Information Officer Flemming Bertelsen of the Los Padres National Forest informed CNN. According to Bertelsen, crews have been monitoring the line and searching for spot fires to preserve the fire’s perimeter.
“Our lines are holding, and the fire is not spreading significantly at this time,” stated Bertelsen. “We have about 24 hours left of this wind,” he added. Winds at the top of the mountain have been hitting 50 to 60 mph. According to him, low humidity is also a severe problem. He said, “Especially tonight, we will be put to the test.” The most active fire area is near the Piru stream; he added that if the fire passes the stream, it will enter a region of dense mountains.
On Sunday, the Los Angeles National Weather Service warned for wind gusts up to 60 to 70 mph, which may intensify the fire. Up to 5 p.m. on Monday, a red flag warning was in effect for the Ventura County mountains and the I-5 corridor in Los Angeles County. A representative for the Los Angeles Fire Department was cited by CNN station KABC in reporting that two people and a kid were transported to a hospital with minor injuries.
The fire service said that although crews attempt to confine the fire, “aircraft are working to stop forward progress but have limited visibility.” According to the fire department, Pyramid Lake is also closed due to the fire threat.
Meanwhile, Cal Fire reports that the Point fire in Northern California has damaged houses and burnt over 1,000 acres in Sonoma County. According to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, some homeowners received evacuation orders on Sunday, and first responders went door to door to help. Thirty-six fire engines, three helicopters, seven dozers, six hand crews, and three water tenders were sent in overnight to battle the fire, which had been controlled to roughly 20% by Monday AM, according to Cal Fire.
According to a Facebook post by Cal Fire, another wildfire, the Aero fire, began southeast of Sacramento on Monday afternoon and has spread dangerously quickly, devouring over 900 acres in just one hour and a half. The tweet also mentioned how difficult it is for firefighters to set up a containment line due to strong gusts. According to the post, warnings and evacuation orders are in effect, although aerial photos from CNN affiliate KCRA reveal that the region is not heavily inhabited. The number of structures in the area in jeopardy is not immediately apparent.