Fires on the West Coast - Flames in California come close to airport

Los Angeles (dpa) – Firefighters in California are currently battling several large fires – now the flames have also reached the area around an airport about an hour’s drive south of Los Angeles.

The airfield in Trabuco Canyon in Orange County is being used for remote-controlled machines, US media reported. The so-called Airport Fire could not initially be brought under control, according to the Calfire fire protection authority. They asked people in several surrounding towns to leave their homes.

The SZ editorial team has published this article with a content from X Corp. enriched

To protect your data, it was not loaded without your consent.

I agree that Content from X Corp. This means that personal data is transmitted to the operator of the portal for usage analysis. Further information and the option to revoke consent can be found at sz.de/datenschutz.

According to media reports, emergency shelters are available. Several streets have been closed. The CBS broadcaster reported three injuries, including two firefighters.

According to reports, the fire started on Monday. The flames spread quickly. At last count, it burned over an area of about 22 square kilometers, as Calfire reported. About 1,000 helpers were deployed, CBS continued. Among other things, they tried to prevent the flames from spreading to residential buildings.

An airfield south of Los Angeles is also threatened by the flames. (Photo: Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register/AP/dpa)

It was not initially known officially what caused the airport fire. However, according to media reports, it may have been accidentally started during construction work in the area.

Forest fires are currently raging in other parts of California. The so-called Line Fire in San Bernardino County – a neighboring county of Los Angeles County – also spread quickly over the weekend. Thousands of people had to seek safety from the flames.