Thousands Evacuated; Governor Declares State of Emergency
Tim Arango and Thomas Fuller report for the New York Times
Oct. 25, 2019 Updated 9:22 p.m. ET
Here’s what you need to know:
- 50,000 people evacuated in Los Angeles County.
- ‘With the winds blowing, it moved fast.’
- Smoke expected to cause delays at San Francisco airport.
- Conditions this weekend could lead to the biggest blackouts yet.
- 16,000 acres of Sonoma County were engulfed by the Kincade Fire.
- A PG&E tower may be linked to the Kincade Fire. Why was its power on?
- How to evacuate an emu from a fire.
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — A fire that forced the evacuation of 50,000 people spread through canyons north of Los Angeles on Friday, jumping a freeway and threatening thousands of homes.
Like the Kincade Fire, a blaze raging through the forests and vineyards of Northern California, the Tick Fire in Santa Clarita was driven by strong autumn winds.
The authorities ordered all public schools in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys to be closed on Friday, and the closing of a major freeway snarled rush-hour traffic.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and Sonoma Counties.
At a news briefing Friday morning, the authorities said the Tick Fire had burned 4,300 acres and was 5 percent contained. They said they had determined that six structures had burned so far.
“However, we know that it’s going to rise today,” said Chief Daryl L. Osby, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
He said that there were actually no active fires at the moment, but that the ground was smoldering and the winds were whipping — they are dealing with “significant and erratic winds.” The worry is that new fires could ignite at any moment.
“At any moment an ember could get out of our containment line,” he said.
Still, he said the authorities would consider repopulating certain areas by Friday afternoon. Aircraft have been used to fight the Tick Fire, and 600 firefighters have been deployed, he said.
Chief Osby said he was pleased to see so many residents heed the evacuation orders, saying many did so because of memories of last season’s deadly fires. But he said he was concerned that some chose to ignore the orders, and were staying in their homes within the evacuation zones.
Dangerous winds are forecast to continue on Friday in the Los Angeles area, challenging the hundreds of firefighters deployed to contain the Tick Fire, the National Weather Service said.
Winds in the mountains will have gusts between 50 and 60 miles per hour and relative humidity will remain in the single digits, said Curt Kaplan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service who covers the Los Angeles area.
“That’s going to cause extreme fire behavior with rapid rate of spread,” Mr. Kaplan said.
Although the winds are set to subside on Friday evening, they are forecast to return on Sunday.
“The combination of very dry conditions with strong winds and dry fuels — it’s just not a good combination,” Mr. Kaplan said.
Credit…Max Whittaker for The New York Times
Previous fire coverage:
Is a utility power line again responsible for a major California wildfire?
Winds up to 70 mph spread wildfires in California’s Sonoma region. Many evacuated. Parts of state in the dark
