A fast-growing wildfire along the Pacific Coast Highway northwest of Los Angeles nearly doubled in size Friday and was threatening more than 4,000 homes as crews battled strong winds, tinder-dry conditions and record-breaking temperatures.
The Springs Fire had burned more than 28,000 acres of rugged, brush-covered terrain by late afternoon and was 20% contained, the state’s fire agency reported.
Forecasters said a weekend of increased humidity should help teams fighting the early-season blaze make gains Saturday. “It’s a total turnaround from what we had,” said Kurt Kaplan, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “It should be a much better day for firefighters tomorrow.”
At midday Friday, the temperature hit a record 96 in Camarillo, where the blaze began, about 50 miles north of Los Angeles. Thousands of residents had already evacuated the Ventura County fire, including 118 families ordered from a premier Navy base because of heavy smoke after flames jumped the scenic highway.
The fire began Thursday during the morning rush hour near U.S. 101, which is the major commuter route into Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. After reaching the coast overnight, the fire headed back inland Friday.
From USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/03/california-wildfires/2131801/