California Heat Wave Leads to Scary Wildfire in LA County; Evacuation Ordered as Flames Spread to 5,200 Acres

A massive wildfire in northern Los Angeles County has scorched over 5,200 acres of land, prompting the evacuation of residents in the area.

Around Wednesday noon at Castaic Lake, the fire started raging until it reached Interstate 5, which led to its closure in both directions.

Because of the ravaging wildfire in the area, seven Los Angeles Fire Department officials were reported to have sustained fire-related injuries, while five are hospitalized.

Los Angeles County Wildfire Update

According to the California Government Wildfire Tracker, the route fire that started near Castaic Lake last Wednesday is still active today as it continues to scorch around 5,200 acres of land in Northern Los Angeles County.

As of this writing, the fire is still 12% contained as the LA County Fire Department began evacuation efforts in the nearby area, including the Old Ridge Route Road Between Northlake Hills Elementary School and Templin Highway and the Paradise Ranch Mobile Estates.

CNN reported that California Governor Gavin Newsom has already issued a state of emergency in response to the high temperatures and heat wave that engulfs the entire state until Labor Day weekend.

More so, Newsom has also cautioned residents to conserve electricity as the heat wave will strain the power grid, which might lead to power outages in the area.

Members of the Fire Department were also reported to have sustained fire-related injuries. Out of the seven injured, five officers were hospitalized.

"This will be the longest and most intense heat streak so far this calendar year," Alexis Clouser from the National Weather Service in San Francisco said in a statement.

Earlier this week, the National Weather Service warned that the Southwestern part of the United States would suffer triple-digit temperatures because of a heat dome brewing in the region.

As officials scrambled to release the warning, an emergency evacuation order was accidentally broadcasted on Live Television, frightening Ventura County residents.

"Emergency alert system. A civil authority has issued an IMMEDIATE EVACUATION NOTICE for the following counties or areas," the warning said.

However, officials clarified later on that the warning was sent in error.

West Coast Suffers Record-Breaking Temperatures

The National Weather Service has issued a heat warning for Los Angeles and the entire Southwestern region as projected temperatures could hit as high as 112 Fahrenheit in the area.

"This heat may be record breaking and will produce a very high risk of heat illness. Triple digit heat is expected for many valley and mountain locations. Even hotter conditions are expected over the Labor Day weekend into early next week," NWS Los Angeles reported.

The gripping heatwave shall also be affecting parts of the Northern region. Seattle, Portland, and Boise are said to experience temperatures peaking in the 90s.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ivan Korrs

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