SoCal Wildfire forcing evacuations and highway shutdowns

Firefighters on Saturday gained the upper hand on a wildfire northwest of Los Angeles that burned about 1,240 acres of land, forced the closure of parts of a major highway and led to evacuations, fire officials said.

The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) in the western US state of California confirmed Saturday that they have sent a strike team to assist in battling a wind-driven major brush fire in a beach in the neighboring Ventura County.

Two firefighters sustained minor injuries fighting the fire, one with a knee injury and another an ankle injury, VanSciver said, he added.

At one point the fire is so fierce it envelopes the vehicle, causing panic from a fellow passenger who says: ‘We will catch fire!’

‘Even if we do open up the roadways, it’s still not a contained fire, ‘ Ventura County Fire Department Chief Norm Plott told reporters earlier in the day.

The California Highway Patrol shut down a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, the northbound 101 Freeway at Highway 33, the southbound 101 Freeway at Bates Avenue, and the Union Pacific Railroads.

The bushfire in Solimar Beach was ignited by a downed power line on Friday night, with strong winds of up to 25 miles per hour helping to spread the blaze.

At the height of the fire Saturday, some 600 firefighters were at the scene while four helicopters dumped water on the blaze.

The fire prompted mandatory evacuations Saturday in Solimar Beach neighborhoods.

“We still have some steep terrains that are challenging us to get the line all the way around the fire, and that of course is dependent on the weather”, he said.

Emma Wood State Camp remains closed, Lorenzen said.

Though the highway has been opened, the region isn’t completely safe, cautioned Ventura County Fire Department Chief Norm Plott. A voluntary evacuation notice was also lifted for people in Faria Beach, a short distance up the coast.