Los Angeles, Aug 3 (EFE) .- A forest fire in Cherry Valley, a residential area east of Los Angeles, has already burned more than 10,700 hectares since its start last Friday, local authorities reported Monday.
According to the latest update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the efforts of firefighters have managed to contain 5% of the flames, so it is expected to remain active for the next few days.
Specifically, the fire has already charred 10,703 hectares (26,450 acres).
In a statement, the authorities considered the fire to be “very active” during Sunday night and Monday morning, when “multiple floodlights” exploded on the north side of the perimeter.
“Fire activity is primarily driven by the low moisture content of the vegetation, combined with high temperatures and low relative humidity. These conditions contribute to the active behavior of the fire both during the day and at night, ”described CAL FIRE.
So far, some 7,800 people have been evicted from their homes in Cherry Valley, a community located in Riverside County, a number that has not grown in the past few hours.
Residents of the Oak Glen and Potato Canyon areas in neighboring San Bernardino County have also been asked to vacate their homes as a precaution.
So far no injuries or victims have been reported, although the fire has consumed at least one single-family house and two units, according to the fire department.
The evacuated neighbors are being temporarily housed in local hotels and in the facilities of a local secondary school, maintaining the necessary protocols by COVID-19, with temperature control upon arrival, safety distances and the use of masks.
What has increased is the number of troops displaced to fight the fire, since some 2,300 firefighters are working to put out the flames.
The National Weather Service has released images taken by its satellites showing that the smoke generated by the fire reaches as far as Phoenix, Arizona, nearly 500 kilometers away.
The causes of the fire are unknown until now, which occurs at a very dry time of year and with high temperatures throughout the area.
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