MOORPARK, Calif. — New wildfires threatened homes in Southern California on Tuesday as hot and dry Santa Ana winds turned the region into a tinderbox.
A blaze in rural hills of Ventura County northwest of Los Angeles spread over 6,000 acres - more than 9 square miles - threatening the northwestern area of the city of Moorpark, said county fire spokesman Bill Nash.
Evacuations were ordered for scattered ranches and homes. Fire Capt. Ron Oatman couldn't provide a specific number but said numerous homes and electrical infrastructure were threatened. One small building was seen ablaze.
"Don't wait for an evacuation order if you feel like you're in danger," he said.
The fire was believed to have been ignited by spontaneous combustion of manure at a ranch, a sheriff's office statement said. Temperatures topped 100, and humidity fell to single digits while winds gusted to 30 mph, Nash said.
"Those are all the ingredients you need to make a fast moving fire," he said.
Air tankers including a DC-10 jumbo jet and big helitankers bombarded the flames with retardant and water, while hundreds of firefighters worked on the ground. Two minor injuries to firefighters were reported.
City spokesman Hugh Riley said the water district authorized avocado growers to turn on irrigation sprinklers in their orchards. He noted that the fire was following the path of a blaze several years ago.
"That was a big one, and fortunately it burned a lot of the fuel that could feed this one," he said.
Another fire broke out in Riverside County, 40 miles east of Los Angeles, and burned from the city of Riverside into the city of Norco and toward adjacent Corona. Norco Fire Chief Jack Frye said the 120- to 150-acre fire was up to 60 percent contained, and no homes had been lost despite gusts up to 45 mph.
In neighboring San Bernardino County, a 17-acre blaze damaged unidentified structures in Redlands. City spokesman Carl Baker said a dozen homes were evacuated. Containment was estimated at 50 percent.
The fires were whipped by the region's notorious Santa Ana winds, which blow from the northeast, speeding up and warming as they descend through mountain passes and canyons and push seaward. The air is extremely dry, lowering humidity levels and making brush easier to burn.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 09/23/2009