The Silverado Fire burns along the 241 State Highway in Irvine, California. Photos / AP
The Silverado Fire burns along the 241 State Highway in Irvine, California. Photos / AP
Crews tried to beat back two out-of-control wildfires in Southern California today that have kept tens of thousands of people out of their homes even as another round of dangerous fire weather raises the risk for flames erupting across the state.
Fierce winds that drove twin fires through brushy hillsnear cities in Orange County a day earlier were expected to pick back up, although not to the earlier extremes, according to the National Weather Service.
Southern California Edison reported to regulators that it was investigating whether its equipment might have sparked the Silverado Fire near the city of Irvine.
With utility equipment blamed for several destructive fires in recent years, Edison was among the utilities in California that deliberately cut power to customers to prevent equipment from being knocked down or hit with debris in the winds and sparking wildfires.
Firefighter Raymond Vasquez battles the Silverado Fire.
Irvine residents had to evacuate after a fire broke out, while later and a few kilometres away, another blaze, the Blue Ridge Fire, sent people fleeing from the Yorba Linda area. More than 90,000 people were under evacuation orders.
One home was damaged and crews protected hundreds more as winds pushed flames down ridges toward neighbourhoods. There was little containment of the fires.
Forecasts call for Santa Ana winds to keep blowing over much of Southern California, with some of the strongest gusts howling through Orange County, where the major blazes are. The winds were expected to be lighter than a day earlier and die down by nighttime.
The gusts were so strong yesterday that they toppled several semitrucks on highways and forced firefighters to ground their aircraft, though they got back up by late afternoon and were expected to fly today.
Two firefighters, one 26 and the other 31, were critically injured while battling the larger blaze near Irvine, according to the county's Fire Authority, which didn't provide details on how the injuries occurred. They each suffered second-and third-degree burns over large portions of their bodies and were getting help breathing at a hospital, officials said.
A firefighter braves gusty winds as heavy smoke fills the air.
"Bone-dry" humidity could dry out vegetation, which can contribute to "catastrophic" fires, PG&E meteorology chief Scott Strenfel said.
"The conditions are very, very unsafe," said Mark Quinlan, the utility's incident commander.
However, once the winds ease, the weather should remain calm through the weekend, Quinlan said.
Scientists have said climate change has made California much drier, meaning trees and other plants are more flammable.
October and November are traditionally the worst months for fires, but already this year 8600 wildfires in the state have scorched a record 16,600 sq km and destroyed about 9200 homes, businesses and other buildings. There have been 31 deaths.
