Three major wildfires burning across four counties in Southern California have torched dozens of homes and forced thousands to evacuate, blanketing parts of the state under smoke and leading California Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency on Wednesday night.
More than 6,000 fire personnel across 162 crews have been deployed to fight the Bridge, Airport and Line fires, part of a massive response that includes more than 500 fire engines, 141 water tankers and 50 helicopters, according to Newsom's office.
“California is deploying every available resource to combat these devastating fires, and we’ll continue to work in lockstep with federal and local partners in this herculean effort,” Newsom said. “We are deeply grateful to all the heroic firefighters and first responders on the ground working 24/7 to keep Californians safe.”
According to the Associated Press, at least a dozen people, mainly firefighters, were treated for heat-related injuries. No deaths have been reported.
These are the three major wildfires currently burning in the state:
The Airport Fire in Orange County, which has burned over 35 square miles and is 5% contained.
The Line Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest, which has burned 57 square miles and is 18% contained.
The Bridge Fire east of Los Angeles, which has burned 78 square miles and was 0% contained.
All three fires erupted over the weekend amid a blistering heat wave that saw triple-digit temperatures across southern California.
The Bridge Fire exploded overnight Wednesday, torching at least 33 homes, forcing the evacuation of 10,000 people and threatening mountain communities northeast of L.A. where officials are imploring those under evacuation orders to leave.
“There is no property that is worth risking your life for,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
California is in the middle of its wildfire season but already has seen nearly three times as much acreage burn than during all of 2023. According to the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, nearly 1 million acres have burned already this year.
"Right now, in our season, we don't get a lot of recovery from higher humidity," Cal Fire Battalion Chief Andrew Bennett told KTLA. "In Southern California, the fuel is dry toward the end of the year, so our fire season is really just starting now."
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