Forest fires in California: tens of thousands fleeing

In California, tens of thousands of people are fleeing devastating wildfires. Authorities report the first deaths. To the south, it burned near Los Angeles. The coastal town of Malibu, known for its beaches, is under threat.

According to the authorities, California has killed and injured many people in California's wildfires. Five people were found dead in burning cars in Paradise, northern California, a spokesman said. Paradise is particularly badly destroyed. A spokesman for the California Fire Department said the "Camp Fire" had destroyed about 1,000 buildings.

Due to new fires, the evacuation of 75,000 homes in the Ventura and Los Angeles Districts was ordered. The number of people fleeing fires is different. A spokesman for the firefighters cited 27,000 refugees, chief of disaster control, Mark Ghilarducci, speaking of 157,000 people who had to leave their homes.

Malibu threatened by fires

Large parts of the posh resort Malibu near Los Angeles have also been affected. California Interim Governor Gavin Newsom has declared the urgency of the fires. Authorities again ordered the evacuation of Malibu. The arrangement had been reduced before. In Malibu, there are about 13,000 people, including many Hollywood stars.

With persistent summer temperatures and drought, the danger of fire on the US West Coast is high. Strong winds made the situation difficult. The National Meteorological Service spoke of extreme conditions and warned of new fires.

The fire would have reached an area of ​​more than 70 square kilometers in a few hours. The flames, up to 15 meters high, continued to spread due to the wind.

Forest fires also in the south

Forest fires have also erupted in the south of the state, in the Ventura County District, writes the Los Angeles Times. Californian firefighters CalFire tweeted images of fires from various backgrounds.

Many major fires have occurred during the summer, including near the famous Yosemite National Park. Popular with tourists, the Yosemite Valley has been closed to visitors for weeks due to thick smoke.

California is experiencing one of the worst years of forest fires in its history. Up to now, almost twice as much area as during the same period of the previous year has fallen victim to the flames and almost three times the area of ​​the five-year average.