Firefighters battle fierce wildfires across California

Wildfires rd across California on Friday, destroying homes and forcing evacuations, as over 1,000 firefighters tackled flames in sourn part of state alone. Tens of thousands of residents near Santa Clarita, rth of Los Angeles, fled ir homes as so-called Tick Fire scorched over 4,000 acres (1,618 hectares) and was only ten percent contained by Friday evening.
blaze forced shutdown of all schools in area as well as a major freeway, creating a traffic nightmare for commuters.
New evacuations in area were ordered early Friday as fire that began day before continued to spre, driven by so-called Santa Ana winds gusting up to 65 miles (105 kilometers) per hour. Some 1,325 firefighters backed by air tankers and helicopters were battling flames that raced toward densely packed communities and threatened 10,000 structures, officials said. Six homes were destroyed, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby told a news conference, ding that number was expected to rise.

At least four or fires have erupted in sourn California this week, fueled by high temperatures in 80s and 90s (above 30 Celsius) and bone dry conditions.
A red flag warning indicating ripe conditions for wildfire was in effect for more than 18 million people in sourn part of state until Friday evening.
National Wear Service warned that although wind speeds were set to decrease later Friday, y were expected to pick up again on Sunday and Monday in sourn part of state.

"It looks like ar Santa Ana is coming," meteorologist Eric Boldt told AFP. "Right w, we're looking at moderate strength winds (Sunday and Monday)." Still, he ded, state remains "critically dry" with little humidity, creating an environment ripe for large and dangerous fire growth.

A number of wildfires are also raging in rrn part of state. most serious -- Kince Fire -- broke out late Wednesday in Soma wine region, also prompting evacuations. high risk of fires has led to pre-emptive power cuts to thousands of customers and prompted Goverr Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency in Soma and Los Angeles counties. Newsom traveled to Soma on Friday to survey areas impacted by Kince Fire which has grown to around 23,700 acres and was only five percent contained as of Friday evening. blaze, which is burning in remote steep terrain, has destroyed nearly 50 structures and forced evacuation of entire community of Geyserville and nearby vineyards.

Newsom told reporters area looked like a "war zone," with homes and vehicles destroyed.Residents said y barely h time to gar ir belongings as ferocious fire approached ir homes.
"We looked up hill and couldn't believe what we saw," ranch owner Dwight Monson, 68, told Los Angeles Times, saying fire moved 14 miles in five hours before destroying four homes and a barn on his property.

state's largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., warned that millions of people in rrn and central parts of state could have ir power cut off during weekend given high risk of fire.

company has come under intense scrutiny after it reported Thursday that even though power to nearly 28,000 customers in Soma County h been shut down on Wednesday, some of high-volt transmission lines were still operating when fire broke out.
same of equipment was responsible for state's deliest wildfire ever -- Camp Fire in 2018 which killed 86 people.
PG&E, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, has been blamed for several or fires in state in recent years.
Newsom hit out at company on Friday, saying it h put "profits over people of California for too long." goverr said it was "infuriating beyond words" that a state as invative as California has to see se s of blackouts, ding that frequency of fires could t only be blamed on climate change.

"It's about dog eat dog capitalism meeting climate change," he said, referring to PG&E.

"It's a story about greed and y need to be held accountable." Intense fires also erupted over border in Mexico's Baja California state, where local civil protection authorities said on Friday that three people h been killed and over 150 homes destroyed.

director of Civil Protection, Antonio Rosquillas, explained that municipality of Tecate, bordering United States, was worst hit.