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By Anezka Pichrtova
Live News Reporter
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A large wildfire, fanned by strong winds, has ripped through dry bushes north of Los Angeles, burning almost 15,000 acres, while another wildfire swept through Sonoma County, north of San Francisco.
The Post Fire, California's first major fire of the year, started on Saturday afternoon. No lives were lost, but the blaze forced the evacuation of about 1,200 people from Hungry Valley campground and surrounding areas.
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Evacuation orders remain in place for areas west of Interstate 5 between Pyramid Lake and Gorman, according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire). Officials have also issued a warning for residents in neighboring areas—including Castaic, home to about 19,000 people, to be prepared to evacuate as strong winds, reaching up to 50 mph in some places, are expected to continue throughout the day.
"If you're in a warning area, be prepared with a 'go bag,' with overnight clothes and your cellphone, your medicines, your glasses. Have your car fueled up," Kenichi Haskett, a section chief for the LA County Fire Department, told the Associated Press. "Be ready to evacuate."
Some residents of Lancaster, home to about 170,000 people and located about 60 miles north of Los Angeles, were ordered to evacuate because of a fire nicknamed Max. This blaze was contained later on Sunday afternoon.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Post Fire has been ranked as the state's largest wildfire so far this year. As of Sunday afternoon, about 2 percent of the fire had been contained. Strong winds were complicating efforts to extinguish the fire, as attempts by aircraft crews to drop water and fire retardant are proving ineffective.
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"When it's windy, it just sprays the water everywhere we don't need it. So that's a challenge," Haskett said.
The fire burned over 10,000 acres within the first 12 hours. Continuous heat and strong winds are sparking new fires, though none have been as destructive as the Post Fire. About 75 miles west of Los Angeles, officials issued an evacuation warning as a fire in San Bernardino County forced road closures.
Los Angeles County officials have closed several roads because of the blaze, including the Golden State Highway and Mulholland Highway between Lower Brewster Road to Seminole Drive.
CAL Fire has almost 1,200 firefighters in 34 crews battling the blaze, along with 14 water tenders and 11 dozers. So far, only one recreational building has been damaged by the fire. The fire brigade is hopeful that the first massive fire of the season will be contained soon. Haskett told The New York Times, "Our goal is hopefully to be done within the week."
The extreme heat in the southwest this spring has caused vegetation to dry out, creating ideal conditions for wildfires. The heat is expected to continue in the coming weeks. Some places, including Las Vegas, have already broken records this month during the first heat wave of the season.
Sonoma County Fire
At least 15,000 acres have burned across Sonoma County. The Point Fire, which started near Lake Sonoma, has forced hundreds of people to evacuate. A red flag warning was issued in the area last night. Some buildings have been damaged, but it is unclear what types of buildings were affected, according to CAL Fire spokesperson Jason Clay.
Schools in the district south of Lake Sonoma were canceled on Monday. There are several other small fires across the county. CAL Fire's Butte County unit expressed confidence that over 50 percent of these fires would be contained by later this afternoon.
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