California: Forest fires near Los Angeles continue to spread

Several large forest fires have continued to spread in Los Angeles. Authorities in the US state California On Tuesday, thousands of firefighters were deployed to the fires around the second largest city in the USA to prevent further spread and bring the flames under control. There have been no reports of deaths or serious injuries so far, but the fires threaten tens of thousands of homes and other buildings.

The so-called Airport Fire alone, which was accidentally triggered during construction work on Monday afternoon and is spreading rapidly, has already claimed more than 36 square kilometers of land in Orange County Los Angeles destroyed. Due to the heavy smoke, several schools were closed.

As the head of the Fire department In Orange County, Steve Concialdi said, the fire is also approaching Santiago Peak, where several radio towers are located. Firefighters have had to withdraw from the area because the flames have become too intense. Firefighting planes and helicopters were also deployed in the region.

Temperatures are expected to fall from Thursday

Northeast of Los Angeles, the Line Fire in San Bernardino County has now destroyed almost 113 square kilometers of land. In vacation spots like Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear, people were ordered to leave their homes and apartments. Several important access roads were closed. The fire department also fought this fire from the air. On the ground, firefighters tried to create firebreaks.

The smaller Bridge Fire north of Los Angeles, which broke out on Sunday, destroyed more than 16 square kilometers of land by Tuesday afternoon. Gusty winds, heat and dry conditions are making the work of firefighters more difficult.

The fires are being fueled by a heat wave that has been affecting California and the neighboring state of Nevada since the middle of last week. In some regions, temperatures are well over 40 degrees. However, yesterday, Tuesday, was supposed to be the last extremely hot day. Meteorologists are expecting a rapid cooling from Thursday onwards.