Fast-moving wildfire in California forces thousands to flee

Los Angeles, Nov 7 (IANS) A dangerously fast wildfire fanned by fierce winds was burning out of control in California, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate.

The mountain fire occurred on Wednesday morning at Moorpark of Ventura County, 60 km northwest of Los Angeles, and has swept across more than 10,400 acres by afternoon, Ventura County Fire Department said, noting the flames have reached a suburb of the city of Camarillo, home to around 70,000 people.

Evacuation orders have been issued for more than 10,000 people so far as the wildfire threatened 3,500 structures in suburban communities, ranches and agricultural areas around Camarillo, said California Governor Gavin Newsom in a statement.

Newsom also announced approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help ensure the availability of vital resources to Ventura County, Xinhua news agency reported.

Local broadcasters showed many homes engulfed in flames and many utterly destroyed, as a thick plume of smoke rose hundreds of feet into the sky, blanketing whole neighborhoods and limiting visibility for firefighters and evacuees.

The National Weather Service office for the Los Angeles area amended its red flag warning for increased fire danger with a "particularly dangerous situation" label.

With predicted gusts up to 80 miles per hour and low humidity levels, many areas of Los Angeles and Ventura County could experience conditions ripe for extreme fire behavior into Thursday, the weather service said.

--IANS

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