Alarge wildfire, fanned by strong winds, has ripped through dry bushes north of Los Angeles, burning almost 15,000 acres, while another wildfire swept through Sonoma County, north of San Francisco.
The Post Fire, California’s first major fire of the year, started on Saturday afternoon. No lives were lost, but the blaze forced the evacuation of about 1,200 people from Hungry Valley campground and surrounding areas.
Evacuation orders remain in place for areas west of Interstate 5 between Pyramid Lake and Gorman, according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire). Officials have also issued a warning for residents in neighboring areas—including Castaic, home to about 19,000 people, to be prepared to evacuate as strong winds, reaching up to 50 mph in some places, are expected to continue throughout the day.
“If you’re in a warning area, be prepared with a ‘go bag,’ with overnight clothes and your cellphone, your medicines, your glasses. Have your car fueled up,” Kenichi Haskett, a section chief for the LA County Fire Department, told the Associated Press. “Be ready to evacuate.”
Some residents of Lancaster, home to about 170,000 people and located about 60 miles north of Los Angeles, were ordered to evacuate because of a fire nicknamed Max. This blaze was contained later on Sunday afternoon.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Post Fire has been ranked as the state’s largest wildfire so far this year. As of Sunday afternoon, about 2 percent of the fire had been contained. Strong winds were complicating efforts to extinguish the fire, as attempts by aircraft crews to drop water and fire retardant are proving ineffective.
