Wind Whipped Fire Scorches LA County, Gov. Declares Drought
A fast-moving fire near Glendora in Southern California has scorched over 1,700 acres and forced thousands to evacuate.
The Colby Fire erupted early Thursday morning in the Angeles National Forest, and was fanned over drought-parched hills by winds gusting to 30 mph, threatening the outskirts of Glendora, located northeast of LA. As of Thursday evening, the blaze was 30% contained.
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No injuries have been reported in the fire. More than 3,600 people were forced to evacuate their homes, about half of which have been allowed to return.
Three campers have been arrested and charged with recklessly starting the fire. More than 1,000 firefighting personnel have been deployed so far, and more are expected. Red Flag warnings are expected to continue through Friday and winds are expected to continue gusting to 30 mph.
The appearance of Santa Ana winds in January is part of the unusual weather pattern that has produced nearly unimaginable fire risk for January. A year-long high-pressure ridge has kept the rains north of the state. The lack of rainfall throughout California has produced a Sierra snow pack that is 17% of normal.
On Friday, Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a drought emergency in California in response to the widening risk.
UPDATES ON COLBY FIRE FROM INCI-WEB
GOVERNOR'S DROUGHT DECLARATION
