(NEW YORK) — The U.S. wildfire season is continuing on a relentless pace across the West as a new blaze erupted in Southern California, destroying multiple homes and leaving residents little time to evacuate, authorities said.
The Edgehill Fire erupted Monday afternoon in the Little Mountain community and quickly tore up a hillside, destroying at least a half-dozen homes, according to fire officials.
“We were so grateful for this house and I can’t believe it’s gone,” Erika Hernandez, whose home was burned to the ground, told ABC Los Angeles station KABC-TV.
The Edgehill Fire is the latest in a California wildfire season that has already burned nearly 800,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,000 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
Wildfires have burned more than 4.6 million acres across the United States, including 200,000 acres in just the first five days of August, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
On Tuesday, nearly 30,000 firefighters were battling 89 large active wildfires across California, Oregon and other Western states.
Capt. Andrew Bonhus said the Edgehill Fire was an example of how fast fires in the West, fueled by an abundance of dried-out vegetation and extremely high temperatures, have spread this year.
“This fire specifically moved extremely rapidly compared to others … on this hilltop,” Bonhus told ABC News.
The Edgehill Fire, east of Los Angeles, was initially reported around 2:30 p.m. local time as a five-acre blaze. But within three hours, the fire ballooned to more than 50 acres, catching multiple homes on fire as it crested a hillside, leaving residents with just minutes to evacuate, officials said.
At least 200 firefighters from several agencies, including firefighting helicopter crews, raced to put out the flames, officials said.
“We didn’t even start at the base of the fire. We go straight for the houses and start evacuations and start getting lines out to help protect structures and, most importantly, life,” Bonhus said.
Around 5:45 p.m. local time, the San Bernardino County Fire Department announced that the fire’s forward progress was stopped and that 25% of the blaze was contained.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Fortunately, according to Bonhus, many residents in the area had taken steps to create “defensible space” around their homes by clearing dry bush, trees and other potential hazards that can fuel a wildfire.
“Because of the defensible space around the houses, some were savable, some were not,” Bonhus said. “It kind of pushes home how critical having defensible space around your homes is.”
The Park Fire
In Northern California, firefighters continued to battle to Park Fire, which was started by an alleged arsonist on July 24 and as of Tuesday had burned 414,042 acres of wildland in Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties, according to Cal Fire. The fire has destroyed 640 structures, including homes and businesses.
The blaze, the largest in the United States this year and the fourth biggest in California history, was 34% contained on Tuesday.
The Nixon Fire
Another large Southern California blaze, dubbed the Nixon Fire, which started on July 29, was 96% contained on Tuesday after burning 5,222 acres near the Riverside County town of Aguanga, according to Cal Fire.
At least 23 structures, including homes and businesses, were destroyed by the Nixon Fire and another three structures were damaged, according to Cal Fire.
Investigators determined the Nixon Fire was sparked by a privately owned electrical panel that caught fire. The agency did not say who owns the electrical panel or specify whether negligence is suspected.
Durkee Fire in Eastern Oregon
More than 1 million acres of wildland have burned in Oregon this year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Oregon has seen some of the biggest fires in the nation, including the Durkee Fire in the eastern part of the state that had burned 294,265 acres as of Tuesday, according to the fire center.
The blaze, which started July 17, was 86% contained on Tuesday and state fire officials said they expected to have it completely extinguished by the end of this week.
Alexander Mountain Fire
Colorado firefighters are also getting the upper hand on the Alexander Mountain Fire, which was first reported on July 29, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire burning west of the city of Loveland in a remote mountainous area near Roosevelt National Park has charred 9,668 acres, the U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday morning.
The fire was 74% contained, according to the Forest Service. More than 900 homes remained under mandatory evacuation on Tuesday. The fire has destroyed 45 structures, including 25 homes, officials said.
The fire remains under investigation, but fire officials said it appeared to be human-caused.
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