Wildfires are devastating California. Thousands of people evacuated, hundreds of thousands without electricity

The fire is breaking into the houses

Fires that started in coastal San Clemente quickly spread to San Juan Capistrano in Orange County. According to the AP agency, at least four houses burned down, and according to the Los Angeles Times, six apartment buildings have already been damaged. One firefighter was injured while extinguishing the fire.

Television stations show dramatic images of burning houses and evacuated families. The fire reached directly into the city. It is located right next to our houses, on the northern outskirts, reported Victor Cabral, a member of the San Clemente city council, quoted by AP.

Evacuations and closed schools

Orange County officials have issued emergency evacuation notices. Schools were closed and planned events were canceled. Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate, Victor Cabral reported.

Fires are also raging in Los Angeles County and at the Camp Pendleton military base. The services warn that conditions conducive to the spread of fire - high temperatures and strong winds - may persist until Saturday night.

Hundreds of thousands without electricity

Due to the threat of fire and damage to energy infrastructure, more than 175,000 customers in northern, central and southern California were without electricity on Friday, according to data from the PowerOutage.com website.

In recent years, energy companies have increasingly decided to preventively cut off power during dry and windy weather to reduce the risk of fires. "Some of California's deadliest wildfires have been sparked by power equipment in the past, so in recent years, utilities have begun to proactively cut off power during dry and windy weather to reduce the risk of wildfires," the AP emphasized.

The authorities are mobilizing the services

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who was criticized last year for the city's response to the tragic fires, this time ordered the fire department to deploy personnel and equipment before the strong winds hit.

The services appeal to residents to be especially careful and follow the authorities' instructions. The forecasts are not optimistic - conditions conducive to fires may persist for several dozen hours.