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MILLE CHENES, Calif. (KABC) –
The Woolsey fire exploded Friday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and fire officials said the unrelenting fire was continuing to intensify.
About 250,000 residents of both counties were evacuated. Authorities have indicated that this number may increase as evacuations continue.
An investigation is underway. The sheriff's officials told the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office that they thought two deaths in Malibu would be related to the fire. No other injuries have been reported.
Acting Governor, Gavin Newsom, declared the state of emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura counties due to the two fires, the Woolsey fire and the hill fire. President Donald Trump has also approved an emergency statement for the state.
The fast-fire Woolsey Fire crossed Highway 101 at Chesebro Road around 5:15 am and established on the south side of the highway, according to the County of Ventura Fire Department. The jump forced the highway to close in both directions on Liberty Canyon Road as the fire rose upstream, burning about 3 acres, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The fire started at Simi Valley, near the Rocketdyne facility in the Santa Susana Pass. By early Friday morning, the fire had reached more than 300,000 hectares and 14,000 by 11:30 am, said Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen.
"We have hundreds of firefighters on the shooting lines right now, and a lot of others on order," said Lorenzen.
The confinement was 0%. The authorities said that at least 150 houses had been destroyed. Of the homes destroyed by the fire, several were in the Oak Park area, as well as in Bell Canyon.
MORE: How to Help the Woolsey Victims, Hill Fires
The Woolsey Fire also set fire to the beloved West End of Paramount Ranch in Agoura, where popular shows such as "Westworld" and "M * A * S * H" were filmed.
The massive fire triggered mandatory evacuations – including the entire city of Malibu.
TO BE FOLLOWED: Complete list of evacuations and closures of roads during fires in Ventura County
Dozens of celebrities living in the area have also been evacuated and the home of Caitlyn Jenner is one of the people destroyed by the fire.
Houses were also destroyed in West Hills when the fire quickly declared in the San Fernando Valley. Evacuation orders have been issued for the entire community.
Many areas of the Simi Valley have also been subjected to mandatory evacuations, as the fire returned to the city on Friday afternoon.
Detailed information on fires and shelters is available at the following address: www.vcemergency.com.
The destructive flames ravaged neighborhoods as gusts of wind reached 30 to 40 mph.
A second fire, dubbed Hill Fire, in the Santa Rosa Valley east of Camarillo, west of Simi Valley, near Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks, was a few miles from the venue. 39, a fatal shooting that killed 12 people on Wednesday night. Lorenzen said the fire activity in the hill fire zone has declined, allowing more resources to be more focused on the Woolsey fire.
Hundreds of Ventura County firefighters and eight tankers fought the flames on the ground and from above.
Clouds of thick white smoke could be seen rising above the burn site as strong winds from Santa Ana pushed the flames under red flag conditions.
The cause of the fires remains under study.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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