Over 4,000 Californians have fled their homes because of the wildfires that have torn through Riverside County.
The seasonal Santa Ana winds are causing havoc in Southern California once again as the ‘Highland Fire’ erupted across rural land in the southeast areas of Los Angeles around 12:45 pm on Monday.
The Riverside County wildfires have forced over 4,000 people to evacuate after 1,300 homes were put at risk by the disaster.
As of 4:30 am on Tuesday morning – the fire had spread over 1,600 acres of land and was 0 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.
Roughly two miles of land have been affected by the devastation from the wildfires that have destroyed at least three buildings and damaged six more.
California resident Francis Lopez douses flames with a bucket of water as a wildfire called the Highland Fire burns through his property in Aguanga, California
The seasonal Santa Ana winds are causing havoc in Southern California once again as the ‘Highland Fire’ erupted across rural land in the southeast areas of Los Angeles at 12:45 pm on Monday
Over 4,000 Californians have fled their homes because of the wildfires that have torn through Riverside County
The disaster saw 310 firefighters flock to the scene with three air tankers, three helicopters and three water tenders.
The Santa Ana winds – sometimes referred to as devil winds – are strong dry downslope winds that flare up inland and affect Southern California’s coast around autumn time most years.
California caught its first glimpse of the Santa Ana winds for this year during the past week – with the strong winds ranging from 20 to 25 miles per hour.
The affected area in Riverside County is sparsely populated – the fire initially sparked in the uninhabited dry, bushy hills of Aguanga.
Most houses in the small town of Aguanga sell for under $1 million – with more expensive houses going for around $800,000 and empty lots going for as little as $30,000 for three acres of land, according to Zillow.
‘The problem here is not only the wind, but also very low relative humidity, which does not give good recovery times for fuels. So, the fuel is very dry and the humidity is extremely low and the wind is pushing it,’ Cal Fire’s Maggie Cline De La Rosa told KTLA.
The winds were forecasted to slow overnight – which would give fire crews the opportunity to contain the blaze.
Fire spokesperson Jeff LaRusso said: ‘Wind trumps everything. Hopefully the forecast holds.’
The Santa Ana winds – sometimes referred to as devil winds – are strong dry downslope winds that flare up inland and affect Southern California’s coast around autumn time most years
The affected area in Riverside County is sparsely populated – the fire initially sparked in the uninhabited dry, bushy hills of Aguanga
Firefighters hold hose line while battling Southern California’s most recent Highland Fire
As of 4:30 am on Tuesday morning – the fire had spread over 1,600 acres of land and was zero percent contained
The disaster saw 310 firefighters flock to the scene with three air tankers, three helicopters and three water tenders
The winds were forecasted to settle down over night – which would give fire crews the opportunity to contain the blaze. Fire spokesperson Jeff LaRusso said: ‘Wind trumps everything. Hopefully the forecast holds’
The Santa Ana winds have ignited some of the worst wildfires in California history – including the devastating Woolsey Fire in Malibu that started on November 8, 2018, and ripped through more than 220,000 acres.
Malibu’s raging 2018 fires killed at least 50 people and reduced entire communities to ash.
The National Weather Service said Riverside County could see winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour through Tuesday with gusts as high as 40 miles per hour.
The weather service issued a red flag warning of extreme fire danger through Tuesday afternoon for parts of Los Angeles and Riverside counties.