Five killed as Carlifornia wildfires spread

At least five people have been killed and more than 150,000 evacuated as two big wildfires rage in California, officials say.

West of Los Angeles, the Woolsey Fire has jumped a major highway and is now threatening coastal areas, including parts of Malibu.

Further north near Sacramento, the five victims were found in cars in a town that was destroyed by the Camp Fire.

Both fires are moving fast, fanned by strong winds.

Where is the Woolsey Fire spreading to?

The blaze has spread rapidly overnight, fanned by strong winds, and has jumped Highway 101, a major route west of Los Angeles.

The flames are now threatening coastal areas further south, fire officials said.

The fire broke out near Thousand Oaks, an area about 40 miles (64 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles where an attacker killed 12 people on Wednesday, prompting the evacuation of 75,000 homes.

Residents have now been ordered to evacuate from several more towns to the west of Thousand Oaks, including Calabasas immediately south of Highway 101 and Malibu on the coast, as well as from the western edge of Los Angeles.

Calabasas and Malibu are home to numerous celebrities and some have been posting on social media, including reality TV star Kim Kardashian. On Instagram she urged people to “pray for Calabasas”. “Just landed back home and had one hour to pack up and evacuate our home. I pray everyone is safe,” she wrote.

Her husband, the rapper Kanye West, said their family was “safe and close”.

What has happened in northern California?

The 20,000 acre (8,100 hectare) Camp Fire, which started on Thursday near Camp Creek, has destroyed the town of Paradise, where at least five people were killed.

The Butte County Sheriff’s office said the victims had been burned to death in their cars and could not immediately be identified.

The fire is being driven west by 35 mph (56 kmh) winds, fire officials said.

Fire officials have issued evacuation notices for parts of Chico, a town of 93,000 people north of Sacramento.

Thousands of people were evacuated from Paradise, home to 26,000 people, including from schools and hospitals.

“There’s nothing left standing,” said Scott Maclean, the state’s forestry and fire protection spokesman.

Accidents gridlocked routes out of the town and residents abandoned their cars and fled on foot carrying children and pets, Reuters quoted local officials as saying.

Rescuers used a bulldozer to push abandoned cars out of the way in order to reach a hospital and evacuate patients as the fire engulfed the building, Butte County Supervisor Doug Teeter said.

The two blazes are among 16 currently active fires in California. Officials have put most of Northern California under a Red Flag Warning, which means “extreme fire behaviour” can occur within 24 hours.

The region has grappled with serious wildfires – including the worst in the state’s history, the Mendocino and Thomas fires – on and off since 2017.

Source:BBC