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California firefighters brace for poor conditions California firefighters tackling six major wildfires
(about 5 hours later)
Firefighters in southern California are preparing for hazardous conditions as strong dry winds fan a growing wildfire along the Pacific coast. More than 3,000 firefighters are battling six major wildfires in California, the state fire agency said.
The blaze erupted near Camarillo on Thursday, and forced authorities to shut part of the Pacific Coast Highway. One of the fiercest blazes has shut the famous Pacific Coast Highway for the second time in as many days, with a 30-mile (50-km) stretch off-limits.
About 15 homes have been damaged and another 2,000 are at risk. No injuries have been reported. The so-called Springs fire has reached the coast north-west of Los Angeles, threatening thousands of homes.
More than 900 firefighters are combating the blaze, which is about 10% contained, fire officials said. Fire crews have tackled more than 680 wildfires so far this year, some 200 more than average for the period.
"We're going to be at Mother Nature's mercy," said Ventura County fire spokesman Tom Kruschke, according to the Associated Press. The Springs fire, which broke out near Camarillo on Thursday, has damaged more than a dozen homes, with another 4,000 at risk. No injuries have been reported.
'Explosive' 'Very strange weather'
At dawn on Friday the fire line was about 20 miles (32km) from the coastal community of Malibu, north of Los Angeles. On Friday, a change in wind direction fanned it through coastal wilderness to the beach, then sent it tearing back inland through canyons to neighbourhoods.
Local weather reports forecast high temperatures, low humidity and wind gusts of up to 45mph (72km/h). Ventura County fire spokesman Bill Nash called it the "worst-case weather scenario".
There was a risk of "explosive fire spread" before conditions ease in the afternoon, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard told the Associated Press. "In the perfect scenario we'd just hope for the wind to go away, but what happened is the wind just turned around,'' he said.
"It has grown throughout the night," Mr Kruschke said. More than 900 firefighters are combating that blaze, which is about 10% contained, officials said.
"The fire has been coming down canyons all along Pacific Coast Highway and that's where we've been concentrating a lot of our effort." At dawn on Friday the fire line was about 20 miles (32km) from the coastal community of Malibu, north of Los Angeles, after spreading overnight.
Firefighters dropped water and retardant on the flames from the air. The fire was fanned by the dry Santa Ana winds, which are occurring unseasonably late this year.Firefighters dropped water and retardant on the flames from the air. The fire was fanned by the dry Santa Ana winds, which are occurring unseasonably late this year.
"This is a very, very strange weather pattern for this time of year," Mr Kruschke said. "This is a very, very strange weather pattern for this time of year," said another Ventura County fire spokesman, Tom Kruschke.
The fire broke out on Thursday further inland during the morning rush hour and prompted the evacuation of the California State University at Channel Islands and several homes. "We're seeing fires burning like we usually see in late summer, at the height of the fire season, and it's only May."
Several smaller fires have also been reported in northern parts of California. On Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service predicted lighter onshore winds of 10-15 mph.
Calmer ocean air could raise humidity levels, helping fight the blaze and eventually bringing rain over the weekend.
The blaze had already pushed further inland on Thursday during the morning rush hour and prompted the evacuation of the California State University at Channel Islands and several homes. The university remained closed for a second day on Friday.
A US Naval air station on the coast has ordered all non-essential personnel to stay home for a second day as the fire edged towards a firing range at the western edge of the base.
Point Mugu spokeswoman Kimberly Gearhart said no ammunition is stored at the range.
North of the fire zone, evacuations of two neighbourhoods were lifted on Friday, but residents were required to show identification to return to their homes, police officials said.
About 200 homes remain under an evacuation order.