California wildfire forces 90,000 to evacuate. Two firefighters critical
Electricity cut to thousands across the state so that equipment doesn’t spark more flames. Wind gusts up to 96 mph hamper firefighters, ground some air missions
By David K. Li and Tim Stelloh, NBC News
A fast-moving, wind-whipped wildfire left two firefighters critically injured and forced more than 90,000 residents in Southern California to evacuate Monday, while huge swaths of the Golden State went without power in an effort to prevent more flames, officials said.
The firefighters, 26 and 31, were injured while battling the Silverado Fire, which had charred at least 7,200 acres in and around the community of Irvine, southeast of Los Angeles, Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said.
The firefighters — two of about 500 trying to contain the out-of-control blaze — suffered second- and third-degree burns across 65 percent and 50 percent of their bodies, the authority said. Both were intubated.
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Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said the incident was under investigation. He said that powerful winds had kept aircraft from dropping retardant and water on the blaze, making ground crew firefighters like the two who were injured critical to extinguishing the flames.
“This is a tough fire, where we’re experiencing very high winds, very low humidities,” he said. “Our firefighters are some of the bravest, if not the bravest in the world.”
More than 90,000 people in 22,000 homes in the city of Irvine, about an hour south of Los Angeles, were under a mandatory evacuation order, fire officials said.
More than 5,000 homes in the nearby cities of Yorba Linda, Hidden Hills and Chino Hills were also told to flee after another blaze, the Blue Ridge fire, broke out Monday, Fennessy said.
Snow, cold not enough to end Colorado wildfires
By Jim Hooley, Fox 31
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Incident commanders for the East Troublesome Fire believe the cold and snow is not enough to put an end to the massive blaze.Latest Updates: East Troublesome Fire holds at 192,000+ acres, 20% containment
In a morning briefing on Facebook, fire officials said the winter weather is ‘not a season ending event’.
The total acreage is now at 192,560 and the fire is 20% contained as of Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday, firefighters will patrol and secure the fire lines and try to button up the southern edge of the fire.
The Grand County Sheriff’s Office says it is still working toward re-entry for people evacuated in the Grand Lake area.
Monday, people living on the east of Highway 34 were allowed to return.
The Grand County Sheriff had a warning for people who have been traveling to the Grand Lake area and going around roadblocks to access the fire zone.
“This is not safe and it is putting firefighters in danger,” shared the sheriff on Tuesday.
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