United States: Southern California wildfires intensify December 7 /update 6

Event

Wildfires intensified and continued to burn much of Southern California late on Thursday, December 7. Over 200,000 people have been evacuated from fire-threatened areas in Los Angeles and Ventura counties as of Thursday; the entire city of Ojai has also been evacuated, in addition to parts of Carpinteria. More than 570 sq km (220 sq mi) have burned in the Southern California wildfires this week, according to state fire officials. Two new fires - the "Lilac fire" (San Diego county) and the "Liberty fire" (Riverside county) - ignited on Thursday, while four other wildfires continued to rage through the region. California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in San Diego county late on Thursday because of the rapidly intensifying Lilac fire. As of Thursday, the six fires were collectively not more than 15 percent contained, according to state officials. At least four people have been injured in the fires.

Purple fire alerts - a new "extreme" fire warning created in light of this week's fires - are in place throughout much of Southern California as of late Thursday. High winds of over 96 km/h (60 mph) were recorded in several areas, fanning the flames. Widespread school and road closures - including on Interstate 210 in the San Fernando Valley and on Highway 101 between Ventura and Santa Barbara - were reported on Thursday and will likely continue in the coming days. Additional power outages are also possible in the affected areas in the coming days. 

Red flag warnings for fires are currently in effect for much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Sunday, December 10, and in Orange, Riverside, Imperial, Kern, and San Diego counties, and the mountains of Santa Barbara county, through at least Friday, December 8. Up-to-date information can be found on the website of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and on Ventura county's website.

Context

On December 4, wildfires broke out and rapidly spread in Southern California as a result of strong Santa Ana winds in the region. According to officials, the flames broke out east of Santa Paula, approximately 95 km (60 mi) northwest of Los Angeles.

Southern California generally experiences its worst wildfires between October and December, due to the increased strength of the Santa Ana winds. Rugged terrain and dry conditions - which have been exacerbated by years of drought - render it particularly difficult to contain fires in the region once they have broken out.

Advice

Individuals are advised to exercise caution when traveling in areas affected by the wildfires, to adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities (e.g. evacuation orders), and to keep abreast of the situation. Individuals should anticipate transportation disruptions throughout the area.