A fire northwest of Los Angeles has consumed nearly 100,000 acres and sent hundreds of residents fleeing for their lives as dry conditions and strong winds fan the flames.
The Gifford Fire, about 130 miles (210 kilometers) from downtown, has burned 99,232 acres and was only 15% contained, according to CalFire, the state fire agency. Evacuation orders have been issued in parts of two counties and some roads are closed.
The conflagration started Aug. 1 as four separate fires along the Highway 166 corridor, said Garrett Huff, deputy chief of emergency services for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. Soon after, authorities decided the fire was large enough to require firefighters from multiple jurisdictions, he added.
“The story of this fire actually started months ago if you guys remember the winter rains,” said Garrett Hazleton, a fire analyst. “What that did is it gave those plants a lot of water right at the peak of their growing season so we had an abundantly high grass crop more than normal.”
Related: Zurich Insurance Beats Estimates Despite LA Wildfire Hit
In addition, around the perimeter of the fire zone, some areas haven’t burned since 1950, so there’s been ample fuel. In other areas, drought and efforts to cut back on vegetation reduced the amount of material available to burn.
“This fire has grown and the wind is very squirrelly in the 166 corridor — it changes hour to hour and minute by minute,” Huff said in a videocast Thursday night. In 1979, four firefighters were killed when winds shifted during a blaze in “the same exact area.”
The situation worsened overnight Wednesday into Thursday when winds intensified, pushing flames to the west and forcing more evacuations. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has said it is increasing patrols to watch over businesses and homes left vacant. Several schools in the area have been opened as shelters.
Photo: A firefighter near smoke from the Gifford Fire in Los Padres National Forest, California. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
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