VIDEO COURTESY OF AP
MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/AP
Members of the Jamul Fire Department in San Diego County search for hot spots as they battle the Highland Fire on Tuesday, Oct. 31 in Aguanga, California.
AGUANGA, Calif. (AP) — Hundreds of firefighters aided by aircraft battled a wind-driven wildfire Tuesday that tore apart or destroyed at least buildings in rural Southern California and prompted the government to order the evacuation of 4,000 citizens.
Strong Santa Ana winds spread the Highland Fire over about 10 square miles of overgrown hills near the village of Aguanga in Riverside County after it broke out Monday afternoon.
Three structures were destroyed and six others were damaged, Riverside County Fire Department spokesman Jeff LaRusso said.
By night, the blaze was 10 percent contained, though still threatening, about 2,400 homes and other buildings, according to an update from the fire department.
One firefighter was injured but did not provide further details.
Luis Quiñonez left when a space he owned burned to the ground. Try to keep your spirits up.
“It’s not for sale anymore,” Quinonez, blackened, joked in an interview.
He also lost thirteen cars that he had collected to sell. A second space he owns across the street remained untouched. No one was injured, he added, and his dogs, cats, chickens and roosters were also doing well.
The terrain, streaked pink by air retarders, was marked with symptoms of other firefighting successes. The scorched earth stopped at a white fence around a giant barn. A nearby olive oil company also survived.
Although the fire showed only minimal expansion on Tuesday, winds are expected to remain in the area through Thursday night and could spread the fire to the west and southwest, the Riverside County Fire Department said.
“Extremely steep and rugged terrain remains a challenge,” the update reads. “Current and expected climatic conditions, characterized by constant winds and low relative humidity, would possibly increase the threat of erratic chimney behavior. “
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Highland Fire broke out as Southern California experienced its first significant Santa Ana wind situations of the season. Extremely dry winds usually form when air flows in from the western interior and descends toward the Pacific coast in the fall, stoking destructive wildfires.
The fire was reported around 12:45 p. m. On Monday, about 1,300 homes and 4,000 citizens were ordered to evacuate. The domain is sparsely populated, but there are horse ranches and a gigantic cell house.
Tankers, helicopters and bulldozers were called in to fight the blaze, one of the few giant, active fires to occur in California this year.
Edison of Southern California is considering shutting off power to about 55,000 customers in four counties to prevent fires in case wind damages equipment. Only a few dozen riders were affected by public safety-related power outages Tuesday night.
Associated Press John Antczak contributed from Los Angeles.
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