California wildfires now fanned by hurricane-force winds

Firefighters trying to keep blazes from spreading throughout the Los Angeles area are now facing hurricane-force winds in addition to flames.

At least four major fires had engulfed large tracts of land in the metro area’s north and west, with the Thomas Fire reaching 90,000 acres by Thursday morning.

It is only 5% contained, according to Cal Fire authorities, with tempered hopes for progress throughout the day given a surge in the Santa Ana Winds.

The winds are expected to reach 80 mph, roughly equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane, and Cal Fire said that there was an “extreme” increase in fire potential stretching south towards San Diego.

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About 150 homes have been destroyed so far because of the Thomas Fire in Ventura County, with others such as the Skirball Fire closer to Los Angeles also destroying structures in the Bel-Air neighborhood.

LAFD Deputy Chief Chuck Butler said that more than 45,000 people had been evacuated because of that blaze, part of what Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said were 150,000 people forced from their homes.

The Santa Anas, a yearly phenomenon in the region, have this year come after a particularly dry autumn, which created a tinder box that has now been set alight.

Erin Mellon, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Water Resources, said that climate change is believed to have influenced the recent cycle of droughts and record rainfall.

With News Wire Services