A raging wildfire burning near Los Angeles has torched more than 33,000 acres and is belching out smoke and ash that is traveling as far away as Las Vegas. The choking smoke, driven by high winds and triple digit temps, has firefighters struggling to contain the inferno, fire officials said late Sunday.
1,673 firefighters continue to battle the blaze which is burning in the Angeles National Forest just north of the city. High temperatures and wind whipping through canyons has prevented firefighters from getting even close to any sort of containment.
|
Advertisement |
About 20,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The fire destroyed 18 structures over the weekend, with some close calls. One person was found dead inside a burned car on Saturday, but investigators have not yet disclosed the official cause of death. The fire compromised air quality and dropped ash on parts of Los Angeles over the weekend. As winds shifted, smoke could be seen Sunday in Las Vegas about 270 miles away. h/t nbcnews
The fire broke out at around 2:00 p.m. local time Friday and exploded to 33,172 acres by Sunday night.