1,000 Flee Raging SoCal Wildfire

Santa Barbara under state of emergency as wildfires scorch hillsides

(NEWSER) - Raging wildfires in the hills above Santa Barbara have destroyed at least 20 homes and are threatening many more, reports the Los Angeles Times. Some 900 firefighters are battling the wind-driven fires, but are hampered by poor access to the area. Three were hospitalized with burns after flames engulfed their truck. More»

Hundreds of homes destroyed by California blazes fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds

(NEWSER) - Nearly 30,000 people have fled three massive fires scorching thousands of acres from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, reports the Los Angeles Times. Hundreds of homes have been gutted in three days of blazes fueled by raging Santa Ana winds that firefighters are struggling mightily to contain. Major freeways were closed, complicating escape for hundreds of residents. More»

Firefighters losing containment on difficult terrain

(NEWSER) - A California wildfire that has sparked mass evacuations kept burning up Sierra Madre today, the Los Angeles Times reports. Officials said the blaze was 23% contained, compared to 30% last night, and four of 580 firefighters have suffered minor injuries—but there are no fatalities so far. The fire now consumes 500 acres and has edged "downhill toward the homes in Sierra Madre," an Angeles Forest Spokesman said. More»

(NEWSER) - The so-called Station Fire is closing in on Los Angeles residents who refused to evacuate with their neighbors over the weekend and are now trapped and in danger, KTLA reports. Five people are stranded in a canyon, according to the AP. "Those people were told to get out two days ago, and now we are putting our people in danger to get them out," says a LA County sheriff's department rep. More»

Pair drives off road as flames consume national forest

(NEWSER) - Two California firefighters drove off a treacherous road to their death as they helped battle a 43,000-acre inferno in the Angeles National Forest, reports the Los Angeles Times. More than 2,800 firefighters, 12 helicopters and eight air tankers have converged on the area where the blaze now threatens some 13,000 homes in Los Angeles County. The blaze is only 5% contained, and has already destroyed 18 homes. More»