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Flames from wildfires edge towards homes in California

Flames whirled dangerously close to homes on Tuesday as gusty Santa Ana winds sent the biggest of southern California's wildfires flaring in hilly brushlands on Los Angeles' northern edge and along subdivisions to the west.

  • AP
  • Published: 10:27 October 15, 2008
  • Gulf News

Los Angeles: Flames whirled dangerously close to homes on Tuesday as gusty Santa Ana winds sent the biggest of southern California's wildfires flaring in hilly brushlands on Los Angeles' northern edge and along subdivisions to the west.

Firefighters with hoses guarded houses as helicopters unleashed loads of water on hot spots of the more than 52-square-kilometre blaze charring slopes above the San Fernando Valley communities of Porter Ranch and Granada Hills.

Flames then pushed west to the rolling grasslands of Ventura County and made runs toward Simi Valley neighbourhoods of modern homes defended by a broad firebreak, helicopters, airplanes and ground crews.

The fire is one of three major blazes that have burned more than 88 sq. kilometres of Southern California, destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes this week. One man died in the flames, and a motorist was killed in a crash as a fire neared a freeway.

Fifteen homes and 47 outbuildings were destroyed in the Porter Ranch area, and another six homes were damaged, said Los Angeles County fire Inspector Ron Haralson. Officials said the fire was 20 per cent contained by Tuesday night, and evacuation orders for several neighbourhoods, including
large parts of Porter Ranch, were lifted.

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