California fires rage south
2008-07-05 11:18
San Francisco - California's wildfires blazed across the state on Friday, with an army of firefighters desperately trying to staunch the flames as they edged towards populated regions.
State officials said 19 925 personnel were battling 60 active fires, which were among 1 800 blazes which have scorched nearly 521 000 acres since being triggered by lightning a fortnight ago.
The focal point of containment efforts is a wind-driven blaze besieging the picturesque village of Big Sur, a normally bustling tourist haven around 193km south of San Francisco.
The blaze threatening the town has swept through 65 393 acres of the Los Padres National Forest and was only five percent contained according to latest figures on Friday.
With a combination high temperatures, low humidity and offshore gusts fanning the fires, officials have said they are battling against a "perfect storm" of weather conditions.
Around 1 800 structures remain threatened in the Big Sur fire while a total of 19 homes had already been destroyed at a cost of around $13.4m, officials and local media reports said.
Firefighters were able to prevent further losses overnight thanks to a cooler weather front, said Rudy Evenson, a spokesperson for the agencies tackling the blaze.
However we warned that conditions remained unpredictable. "Today's a new day, tonight's a new night," Evenson told local media.
An estimated 1 700 residents have been ordered to evacuate from the region, while several luxury hotels and spa retreats have evacuated voluntarily to ensure guest safety.
Meanwhile, concern was growing Friday for another blaze edging closer to the southern Californian town of Santa Barbara, 145km north of Los Angeles, which doubled in size overnight to 5 400 acres.
The blaze, which is only 10 percent contained, near the town of Goleta has not destroyed any homes but has been designated a high priority fire and is threatening around 1 700 homes which have received evacuation orders.
Thick smoke from the fires could be seen from the beaches of Santa Barbara, a traditional hotspot for revellers during the July 4 holiday.
Santa Barbara County spokesperson William Boyer told the San Francisco Chronicle that the rapid advance of the fire had forced swift evacuations.
"The fire was very active last night," Boyer said.
"The fire burned right up to homes, but fortunately our homeowners are very fire savvy and have taken personal responsibility and created defensible spaces around their homes. Firefighters were able to get in and make a stand."
California is frequently hit by scorching wildfires due to its dry climate, Santa Ana winds and recent housing booms which have seen housing spread rapidly into rural and densely forested areas.
- SAPA