Los Angeles County authorities in California have set the highest wildfire alert level ever recorded in the region, CNN reported on Thursday, according to Interfax-Tourism.
A lockdown has been introduced in Los Angeles emergency.
Fires are currently raging in four separate areas in the southern part of the state. The total area affected by the fires has already reached almost 50,000 hectares.
The largest fire, dubbed the Thomas Fire, has burned more than 36,000 hectares in Ventura County. The state fire marshal warned residents of the county of a "high probability of severe fire spread."
"We're in for a challenging night and day," state fire spokesman Tim Chavez said at a press conference. He noted that strong winds and extremely dry vegetation in the region are making firefighting difficult.
State authorities previously ordered the evacuation of more than 200,000 people.
Yesterday, California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Ventura County.
Several hundred buildings have reportedly been destroyed by fires in the southern parts of the state. At least three firefighters were injured while fighting the blazes.
In addition, local media reported the death of one person as a result of a road accident caused by a fire.
The spread of the fire also led to power outages. More than 260,000 people in the southern part of the state remain without power.
CNN noted that residents of the prestigious Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, home to many Hollywood celebrities, were also evacuated.
Part of the Moraga Bel Air vineyard, owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, was destroyed in a fire. Homes worth tens of millions of dollars owned by Hollywood stars, including Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Harrison Ford, and Jennifer Lopez, are also at risk, The Mirror reports.
Source: trn-news.ru
