In recent days, three large-scale wildfires have been burning simultaneously in Southern California, USA. As of Wednesday afternoon local time (September 11), the fires have already caused at least 13 people to seek medical treatment, with nearly 80,000 residential and commercial buildings threatened by the fires, including thousands of residents in Chinese neighborhoods who have received emergency evacuation orders.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection website, more than ten wildfires are currently burning in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties at the same time. Among them, the three wildfires in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, and Riverside counties are the largest in scale, with a total burned area of approximately 110,000 acres.
Last Sunday (8th), the “Bridge Fire” that started around 2pm in the San Gabriel Canyon in Los Angeles County has spread aggressively into San Bernardino County. As of the latest update, this large fire has consumed over 50,000 acres and is completely out of control, leading to the emergency evacuation of thousands of local residents. This fire is currently considered the largest wildfire in California.
The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that approximately 40 homes in the Mount Baldy and Wrightwood communities have been destroyed by the fire, with nearly a hundred surrounding buildings still under threat, and damage to power infrastructure has also been reported.
On Monday afternoon in Trabuco Canyon in Orange County, the “Airport Fire” broke out, threatening residents in Riverside County and has already burned 22,376 acres of land within just two days. The fire is currently burning fiercely to the south and east of the highway, with a current containment rate of 0%.
Local fire departments have reported that two civilians and eight firefighters have been injured in this wildfire, with over ten thousand buildings at risk of being affected by the flames, and one structure already confirmed to be destroyed.
Investigators have stated that this wildfire was sparked accidentally by a public works employee using heavy equipment.
The “Line Fire” that ignited in Highland, San Bernardino County last Thursday (5th), has already burned 36,481 acres of land, reaching an 18% containment rate. Three firefighters have been injured while fighting the fire, and 65,600 homes are under threat.
State Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in California, with over 3,000 firefighters from various local, state, and federal agencies working tirelessly around the clock to combat the wildfires, with the California National Guard also joining the firefighting efforts.
However, the persistent extreme high temperatures and dense dry vegetation, along with challenging mountainous terrain in the fire-affected areas, are contributing to the rapid spread of the fires and making firefighting operations difficult.