US wildfires - live: Evacuations ordered in Colorado Springs as homes destroyed in California
Wildfires are raging across the western US as this year’s fire season gets off to an early start
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A wildfire near Laguna Beach, California, has already destroyed 20 homes and will likely continue to ravage the region throughout the day.
The blaze — called the Coastal Fire — raged through the early morning hours on Thursday, during which time fire crews were dispatched to attempt to stop its advance.
Despite their efforts, by Thursday morning a score of homes — including five multi-million dollar mansions, one of which was listed for $10m — were left in smoldering ruins as the blaze continued to grow to around 200 acres.
The wildfire is the fueled in-part the ongoing drought conditions affecting much of the western and southwestern US. The lack of rain causes regional flora to dry out, which then creates ideal conditions to fuel wildfires.
Fires contineus to burn in New Mexico, including the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak fire, which has spread to over 400 square miles and forced further evacuations as it spreads north. The Cerro Pelado fire, north of Albuquerque, has now put the Los Alamos National Laboratory on evacuation alert.
In Colorado Springs, officials have ordered a mandatory evacuation order for a community surrounding a grass fire that started today.
Fire crews believe the California blaze started in the Aliso Woods Canyon, which abuts one of the Laguna neighborhoods. Mandatory evacuation orders have been enacted for parts of Laguna Niguel.
As of today, an area 30 per cent larger than Rhode Island has burned across the US so far this year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center
Fire season is just beginning, as conditions for burning usually start up in May and drop back down in early Autumn – but with increasing drought and the onset of the climate crisis, fire season is starting earlier
Fire growth is expected to continue northward in the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak fire over the next day, according to InciWeb
The fire, which started west of Las Vegas, New Mexico, has climbed northward over the past few weeks – pushing more and more towns into mandatory evacuations as the blaze spreads
High winds and dry vegetation, the latter promoted by ongoing drought conditions in the western US, have helped prevent the fires from being contained
Evacuations in Colorado Springs, surrounding a fire that broke out today
The Colorado Springs Fire Department in Colorado is reporting a fire as well, with evacuations ordered
Drought conditions have devastated California over the past few years, leading drier vegetation that can help fires spread
Currently, this part of Orange County is under “moderate drought” conditions according the US government’s drought monitor
Firefighters in orange work to contain the fire on Thursday, as seen from above
Airplane footage from the Coastal Fire shows the overlap of the blaze and homes near the canyon area
The fire has appeared to cross over four roads on the west side of Pacific Island Drive
California Governor Newsom has gotten money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for firefighting efforts, the governor’s office reports
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