Thousands of people are under evacuation orders in California as wildfires destroy homes

SANTA PAULA, California: Thousands of people were under evacuation orders in Southern California as fast-moving wildfires engulfed homes, authorities said, with the National Weather Service issuing a red flag warning describing the situation as “particularly dangerous.”

Video captured by an eyewitness showed residents rushing to evacuate their homes in the town of Camarillo as thick smoke blanketed the sky above. Images showed houses and cars completely engulfed in flames.

The Mountain Fire was spread across 14,000 acres and at least 800 firefighters were assigned to dealing with it, said the Ventura County Fire Department, located northwest of Los Angeles. The country had requested additional helicopters to help in its efforts to tackle the situation, it added.

At least two people were injured and several buildings were damaged or destroyed by the fire in Ventura County, fire officials said Wednesday.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said the Mountain Fire prompted evacuation orders for more than 10,000 people and threatened 3,500 buildings.

Schools in Ventura County were closed through Friday due to the fires, according to the county education department.

The fire spread on Wednesday after strong winds came into contact with very dry air.

Southern California Edison began turning off power to customers in areas where the equipment was at high risk of starting a wildfire, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The United States is experiencing a year of strong wildfires, with 8.1 million hectares burned so far, compared to an annual average of about 7 million hectares over the past decade, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center.

California wildfires have burned more than three times as much land so far this year compared to last year, at a time when the state’s fire season was milder, according to Cal Fire data.