- Kincade fire grows to more than 15 sq miles
- Residents face widespread electrical blackouts
Tens of thousands in California were ordered to evacuate their homes on Thursday as wildfires raged in the north and south, after dry, windy weather prompted the state’s largest utility company to impose sweeping electrical blackouts.
More than 40,000 in southern California were ordered to evacuate as wildfires burned near a Los-Angeles area neighborhood. Several homes burned Thursday as two fires fanned by powerful winds swept through dry brush to the edge of communities in the Santa Clarita area. No injuries were immediately reported, but the LA fire chief said there was no containment of either blaze.
Earlier in the day, the Kincade fire, in the Sonoma county wine region of in northern California, exploded to more than 10,000 acres (15 sq miles, or 39 sq km). Authorities ordered evacuations for nearly 2,000 people in and around Geyserville, a small town and popular destination for wine country tourists. By Thursday evening, the fire had grown to 25 sq miles, and was 5% contained.
Read More California wildfires: tens of thousands ordered to evacuate