California Wildfires Prompt Evacuation Calls As Hundreds Of Homes In Danger

A massive wildfire broke out Saturday near southern California’s Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, prompting evacuations, it was reported.

According to Los Angeles Times, the fast-moving wildfires spread across 19,000 acres amid soaring temperatures. The Alamo fire which broke out Thursday spread to 6,000 acres and eventually roared across 12,000 acres near San Luis Obispo County by Saturday.

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The fire near Highway 166 was only 10 percent contained till Saturday morning, the Santa Barbara County officials said on Twitter.

Around 150 to 200 homes were in danger, CNN reported. The report stated that the wildfire spread fast due to the tall grass and the drouth-stricken vegetation in the region.

To help evacuees, a Red Cross shelter was set up at the Miami Community Center in Santa Maria, the Los Angeles Times reported.

As the wildfires spread across the counties, immediate evacuation orders were issued, officials said. The fire near Highway 166 near Twitchell Reservoir, was reported around 3:30 p.m. local time (06:30 p.m. EDT) Thursday, ABC News reported.

Around 1,000 firefighters, four fixed-winged planes and about five helicopters were working to douse the fire. Moreover, four bulldozers, 10 hand crews, and five water tankers were also rushed to the scene., the report added.

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Officials said close to 200 homes have been evacuated so far. Also, evacuation orders were issued for Blazing Saddle Drive, White Rock Lane, and Tepusquet Road. A warning was also issued for the residents of Buckhorn area. While many residents left the place, some chose to stay, Santa Barbara County spokeswoman Gina DePinto said.

“Low humidity, high heat, and the winds are right — and there’s just a lot of stuff to burn,” De Pinto said adding that the firefighters aimed to secure south and east sides of the blaze. If the winds shifted towards the northwest, more homes could be gutted by the fire, she further said, Los Angeles Times reported.

Meanwhile, Todd Hall, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, Los Angeles, said the temperatures in the area were expected to rise to 100 degrees Saturday while the humidity levels would be as high as 20 percent. The temperature, however, is expected to come down to 85 degrees by evening and the humidity is also expected to be less, Hall added.

On the other hand, a blaze called the Whittier Fire, that broke close to Los Padres National Forest, threatened the structures at Camp Whittier and Lake Cachuma, CNN reported. The report added that the fire burned on both sides of Highway 154 near the San Marcos Pass.

According to officials, the fire started Saturday and engulfed around 3,300 acres.