International News

PHELAN, United States, (APP/AFP) – An
inferno scorching swaths of southern California threatened the homes of more than 82,000 people Wednesday, sending flaming “firenadoes” tearing across the brush and prompting a state of emergency.
More than 1,300 firefighters were battling the giant blaze, with more
on the way, but they were unable to contain the blaze.
Dramatic local TV news footage of the wildfire captured from the
front line in the town of Phelan showed tornado-like flaming vortexes — known as “firenadoes” — sent spinning into the air by the unusual ferocity of the blaze.
“We have very, very dry brush, thick fuel, it helps move it along
very quickly,” Lynne Tolmachoff, spokeswoman for the state firefighting agency Cal Fire, told AFP.
“It is very dangerous to the public and also to the firefighters.”
Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino
County, just 60 miles (100 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, where the so-called Bluecut Fire was quickly growing, its cause still unclear.
The inferno began around 10:30 am (1730 GMT) Tuesday and has already
burned through 25,626 acres (10,370 hectares) according to the multi-agency Inciweb information site. The blaze was four percent contained.
More than 34,500 homes were threatened and 82,640 people were under
evacuation warnings.
“There is imminent threat to public safety, rail traffic and
structures in the Cajon Pass, Lytle Creek, Wrightwood, Oak Hills and surrounding areas,” Inciweb said.
From the highway between Wrightwood and Lytle Creek, a thick cloud of
smoke could be seen blanketing the entire valley.