California wildfire forces evacuations as it devours 12,000 acres
Al Jazeera
A wildfire burning northwest of the US city of Los Angeles has forced the evacuation of about 1,200 people from a popular outdoor recreation area and burned more than 12,000 acres (about 4,850 hectares), authorities said.
About 400 firefighters, accompanied by 70 firetrucks and two bulldozers, are battling the blaze, authorities said. Dubbed the Post Fire, it was contained just 2 percent until Sunday evening. Los Angeles County’s first major wildfire of the year swiftly grew to nearly 23sq miles (60sq km).
No injuries have been reported. The cause of the inferno, which was burning about 60 miles (96km) northwest of the Californian city, was under investigation.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said efforts to contain the fire are being hampered by high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds.
Water-dropping aircraft are working to try to halt the progress of the fire, while firefighters are constructing perimeter fire lines to get the blaze under control.
