California Wildfire Near Airport Scorches Nearly 4K Acres; Evacuation Orders Raised

A California wildfire that erupted near an airport in Inyo County scorched nearly 4,000 acres of land as of Thursday, prompting evacuation.

According to Fox News, the blaze dubbed as "Airport Fire" is still zero percent contained despite the vast land it already charred, per Yahoo! News.

USA Today noted that the California Wildfire near the airport prompted evacuations by Thursday afternoon as it eluded containment from the authorities.

California Airport Wildfire Prompts Evacuation

Reports noted that the wind-driven wildfire near the airport prompted authorities to issue evacuation from the Owens Valley Radio Observatory and White Mountain Research Center.

However, the evacuation was later expanded and include the small town called Big Pines, which is home to under 2,000 people.

The said community is located east of U.S. 395.

It was unclear where the residents were evacuated by the authorities.

On Thursday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said that at least 150 structures were threatened by the wildfire, but the department pointed out that no communities have been harmed by the blaze so far.

"We were lucky to not sustain any damage to our facility. Though the fire was close, about 200 yards from our fence," University of California White Mountain Research spokesperson Gaylene Kinzy said in an email to AP, per USA Today.

Meanwhile, The California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the owner of the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, said in a statement that the main threat to their facility had passed.

Caltech previously said that they assessed the observatory's antennas, field surrounding, instruments, and main facility structure.

California Airport Wildfire

According to reports, "Airport Fire" erupted outside the Eastern Regional Airport in Inyo County on Wednesday, NBC Los Angeles reported.

The said airport is located outside the town of Bishop which houses 3,800 people.

Reports highlighted that winds drove the blaze south to Big Pine, as it doubled its size from 50 acres to 100 acres within 45 minutes.

As the fire continued to scorch lands on Thursday, Cal Fire said in a statement that firefighters are "actively" engaged in controlling the perimeters and defending structures in the area.

Cal Fire also mentioned that firefighters try to sustain the blaze as winds remain steady and "will continue at 10-15 mph out of the northwest."

Furthermore, more than 430 personnel, six air tankers, and 66 engines responded to the Airport Fire in an attempt to contain the blaze. Furthermore, a helicopter was also dispatched to the scene to help in controlling the fire.

The Airport Fire is the latest wildfire California faced this year. It can be recalled that a brush fire also erupted in Laguna Beach earlier in February. Around 375 firefighters were dispatched as the fire threatened the Emerald Bay community, as well as helicopters that helped control the situation.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

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