California declares state of emergency over massive wildfires | News | DW | 27.10.2019

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California declares state of emergency over massive wildfires

California authorities ordered more than 180,000 people to evacuate and declared a state of emergency in response to raging wildfires. More than two million people have been left without electricity across the US state.

USA | Waldbrände in Kalifornien (imago-images/ZUMA Press/N. Waters)

California was deploying "every resource available" to fight multiple wildfires, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Sunday, as thousands of firefighters were struggling to control the flames.

Newsom declared a state of emergency due to "unprecedented" high winds fueling the spread of the fires through dry vegetation. Some 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate from Sonoma County north of San Francisco. 

"It is critical that people in evacuation zones heed the warnings from officials and first responders," he said in a statement.

The Kincade fire has grown to 85 square miles (220 square kilometers) and destroyed 94 buildings in Sonoma County since it erupted on Wednesday. Only 10% of it had been contained by Sunday, according to officials.

In the south of the state, another major blaze dubbed Tick Fire also prompted evacuations around Santa Clarita area near Los Angeles in recent days. Several smaller fires have also been reported.

  • A house near a vineyard burns in California

    California wildfires threaten towns across the state

    Fire in wine country

    A home goes up in flames near the town of Geyserville, California in the wine country some 75 miles (120 km) north of San Francisco. Around 2,000 people were ordered to evacuate the area after a brush fire was sparked Wednesday night and was fanned by dry winds into an inferno.

  • A house on fire near Los Angeles

    California wildfires threaten towns across the state

    Santa Clarita inferno

    A home threatened as another fire broke out Thursday near Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles. Six homes have been destroyed so far and as many as 40,000 people have been ordered to evacuate. The fire is being driven by hot, dry "Santa Ana" winds.

  • A plane drops fire retardant onto a blaze in northern California

    California wildfires threaten towns across the state

    Aerial attack

    An aircraft drops fire retardant on the "Kincade" wildfire in Sonoma County, California. Fire officials said Thursday evening that the blaze was only 5% contained. About 500 firefighters on the ground battled blustery, dry winds.

  • A car drives by a wildfire in southern California

    California wildfires threaten towns across the state

    Roll up your windows

    The Sierra Highway was still open as the so-called Tick Fire raged across an estimated 4,000 acres (1,600 hectares) in areas north of Los Angeles.

  • A darkened house near a wildfire in California

    California wildfires threaten towns across the state

    Left in the dark

    Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power as California's Pacific Gas and Electric Co. cut power as a preventative measure. There were reports that the Kincade fire began near a high-voltage transmission tower.

  • A plume of smoke rises above a highway in California

    California wildfires threaten towns across the state

    Short break in the wind expected

    Both fires are being driven by hot and dry winds. Forecasters with the National Weather Service said a short break in the wind is expected for northern California on Friday, but warned they could pick up again over the weekend. At one point, firefighters in Sonoma County reportedly faced wind gusts topping 70 mph (110 kph).

  • USA Waldbrände in Kalifornien (Reuters/S. Lam)

    California wildfires threaten towns across the state

    Horse statue silhouetted

    There was not much let up in the wind as the Kincade Fire spread to Windsor, California. A horse statue is here illuminated by the light of the fire.


Millions without power

The cause of the fires was not immediately known, but Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) power company said one of their high-voltage transmission lines malfunctioned minutes before the Kincade fire started in the same area.

PG&E started cutting power on Thursday to reduce further risks. By Sunday, some 2.3 million residents were left without electricity.

Weather experts predicted powerful gusts of winds on Sunday, reaching 80 mph (129 kph) on hillsides. The high winds are expected to lose intensity by Monday, but might pick up again as early as Tuesday night.

Watch video 02:08

California wildfires rage near LA and in wine country

cw, dj/aw (AP, AFP)

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