Growing Wildfire Threatens Hundreds of Homes North of Los Angeles

A rapidly growing wildfire in the foothills north of Los Angeles threatened hundreds of homes on Monday and forced nearby residents and students at a small college to evacuate, officials said.


More than 600 households in Ventura County, California, about 70 miles (115 km) northwest of Los Angeles, were told to leave as the 10,000-acre wildfire, known as the Thomas Fire, burned dry brush, Ventura County officials said on Twitter, Reuters reported.

“We’re really just trying to catch it around the edges and just pinching it off as quickly as we possibly can,” Ventura County firefighter Jason Hodge told the Los Angeles Times.

One motorist was killed fleeing the fire, a local ABC affiliate reported. More than 150,000 homes were without power and at least two structures were destroyed, media reported.

Evacuation centers were opened at a high school and the county fairgrounds, media reported.
  (Tasnim)
 5/12/17