60,000 evacuated in Southern California due to massive wind-driven wildfire

An estimated 60,000 people in the Irvine area have been ordered to evacuate due to the wind-driven Silverado Fire blazing in Southern California, according to the Associated Press.

The smoky fire broke out at about 7 a.m. Monday morning in Orange County and has continued to grow rapidly due to a Santa Ana wind event. Within hours, the fire had expanded to 2,000 acres with no containment.

On top of the evacuations, the combination of strong winds and dry humidity has prompted power to be cut in an attempt to prevent utility equipment from sparking new blazes. Pacific Gas and Electric has shut off power to more than 360,000 homes and businesses, and the “public safety power shutoffs” will reportedly affect about 1 million people.

“It’s definitely the strongest wind event of this fire season and probably the lowest humidity as well,” Duane Dykema, a National Weather Service meteorologist, told the Los Angeles Times. “So overall, these are the most dangerous and critical conditions we’ve seen this fire season.”

Ben Gonzales of the Orange County Fire Authority further explained to the LA Times that wind, dryness, and steep terrain are making the fire more difficult to fight.

“It’s a little bit of everything to be honest, between the high unpredictable winds — we’ve had reports of gusts in excess of 70 mph — of course, we have the dry brush and, as always, terrain is something we have to deal with,” Gonzales told the newspaper, adding that his department’s top goal “is to control and fire and protect homes.”

Historically, October is one of the worst months for wildfires in California, due to months of dry conditions and strong winds. There were 20 major wildfires burning in the state as of Sunday, and more than 4 million acres have burned thus far this year.