Crews tackle large fire at Wellington holiday house
A crew remains at the property to dampen down hot spots and prevent the fire from reigniting.
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Rapidly spreading brush fire forces evacuations north of Los Angeles
A brush fire in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles ignited and spread quickly Thursday, forcing thousands of evacuations. The Canyon Fire ignited around 1:30 p.m., growing to over 1.6 square miles (4.1 square kilometers) in less than three hours, according to Ventura County emergency response. It remained zero percent contained late Thursday afternoon and was spreading east, the county said. The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest. It's close by Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area burned by the Hughes Fire in January. That fire burned about 15 square miles (39 square kilometers) in six hours and put 50,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings. In LA County, around 4,200 residents and 1,400 structures are under an evacuation order, and another 12,500 residents are under an evacuation warning, said spokesperson Andrew Dowd for the Venture County Fire Department. The evacuation zones in nearby Ventura County are relatively unpopulated, Dowd said. Fifty-six people were evacuated from the Lake Piru recreation area. Dowd said the fire was a 'very dynamic situation' caused by hot, dry weather, steep and rugged terrain and dry fuel. There were 250 firefighters on the ground coordinating with helicopters and other air support, he said. LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the district, urged residents to evacuate. 'Extreme heat and low humidity in our north county have created dangerous conditions where flames can spread with alarming speed," Barger said in a statement. 'If first responders tell you to leave, go—without hesitation.' The new blaze comes as a massive wildfire in Central California became the state's largest blaze of the year, threatening hundreds of homes and burning out of control in the Los Padres National Forest. The Gifford Fire had spread to 154 square miles (399 square kilometers) by Thursday afternoon and was at 15% containment. It grew out of at least four smaller fires that erupted last Friday along State Route 166, forcing closures in both directions east of Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000 people. It has injured at least four people. The causes of the fires are under investigation. Wildfire risk will be elevated through the weekend across much of inland California as a heat wave gripping the area intensifies. August and September are typically the most dangerous months for wildfires in the state. 'In Southern California, the threat is driven by persistent drought, high grass loads, and weakening coastal moisture,' according to a wildfire forecast by the state's fire department.
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Reuters
Massive French wildfire now contained, 16,000 hectares affected, local authorities say
SAINT-LAURENT-DE-LA-CABRERISSE, France, Aug 7 (Reuters) - fA massive wildfire that has scorched through 16,000 hectares (39,537 acres) of forest and villages in southern France since Tuesday has now been contained, local authorities said on Thursday. Firefighters will remain deployed in the area in the coming days to secure the site and prevent flare-ups, they added in a statement. Residents affected by the blaze are still barred from returning to their homes without official clearance, as many roads remain closed and potentially hazardous due to uninspected damage and fallen power lines. France's biggest wildfire in nearly eight decades has killed a woman whom officials said had disregarded evacuation orders, made 18 injuries, including 16 firefighters. The blaze destroyed 36 houses, damaged 20 others, and forced some 2,000 residents and holidaymakers to flee the area. At the height of the crisis, approximately 5,000 households lost power, and as of Thursday evening, around 1,500 homes were still without electricity, local authorities said. "We don't have water, internet and electricity anymore. We have nothing. It's the apocalypse," said resident and farmer Alain Reneau, who lives in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, a village hit hard by the fire. "We saved the house, but we had to fight the whole night, for two days." Plumes of smoke rose over the forest area in the Aude region. Drone footage showed swathes of charred earth after the fire swept across an area one-and-a-half times the size of Paris. The blaze, not far from the border with Spain and the Mediterranean Sea, has spread unusually rapidly, fanned by strong winds and very dry vegetation, following months of drought in the area. "The fire's progression is slowing down, but we are still dealing with an active fire," the region's deputy prefect, Remi Recio, told reporters. "Compared to yesterday, the progression has significantly decreased because the weather conditions have changed, notably the wind direction," Le Monde newspaper quoted Recio as saying. Close to 2,000 firefighters were on the ground to fight any flare-ups. The territory the wildfire has gone through around 16,000 hectares, local authorities said in their last update on Thursday evening, while French media reported the affected area to be around 17,000 hectares (40,000 acres). "The battle isn't over yet, the fire could reignite with greater force," Prefect Christian Pouget said earlier. Environment Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said the fire was the biggest one France has experienced since 1949. "This is a wildfire that is a consequence of climate change, of drought in this region," she told France Info radio. An investigation is under way to identify the cause of the blaze. "Never in my life (have I seen) fires like this," 77-year-old retiree Simon Gomez said in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse. Scientists say the Mediterranean region's hotter, drier summers put it at high risk of wildfires. France's weather office has warned of a new heatwave starting in other parts of southern France on Friday and due to last several days. Local winemakers and mayors are also blaming the loss of vineyards for the fire's rapid spread. "We're at war, but also, we will win the war," said Xavier Guille, a local vinyard owner who was helping firefighters battle the blaze. Guille lost woodland to the fire but his vineyard was unharmed. "My in-laws lost their home in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, it was one of the first homes that burned."
Sky News
8 hours ago
- Sky News
Tropical Storm Dexter to bring potential heatwave next week
Remnants of Tropical Storm Dexter will bring an increase in temperatures over the weekend, with highs of 34C possible next week. A heatwave could be registered in parts of the South early next week and could spread more widely if temperatures hold. Temperatures of 28C (82F) are possible in the South on Sunday, reaching 30C (86F) across parts of England on Monday before getting closer to 34C (93F) on Tuesday. Warm and muggy nights are to be expected, especially in the South. Conditions will be more unsettled in the North, with strong winds and rain at times. In its forecast the Met Office said Friday will be a brighter day for many, with sunny spells across southern and central areas and highs of 25-26C expected. Northern Scotland will be breezy with showery outbreaks of rain. Saturday will also see sunny spells for much of England and Wales, but there will be some rain in northern areas, paritcularly northern Scotland. A weather front moving in from the west will bring rain to Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland and possibly northern England by Sunday evening, while central and southern areas are expected to remain dry with sunny spells. Temperatures will begin to rise in the South from Sunday evening, as the remnants of Tropical Storm Dexter "draws warm air up from the southwest across the UK", the Met Office said. Temperatures are expected to exceed 30C across parts of central, southern and eastern England on Monday and Tuesday, the forecaster added. "We're confident that temperatures will increase markedly by the start of next week, reaching the low 30s Celsius in parts of England on Monday and perhaps the mid 30s in a few places on Tuesday," said Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Steven Keates. "However, the length of this warm spell is still uncertain, and it is possible that high temperatures could persist further into next week, particularly in the south." "Ex-Dexter sets the wheels in motion for an uptick in temperatures, but the weather patterns then maintaining any hot weather are rather more uncertain".
