A fire destroys 20 houses in a luxurious area south of Los Angeles | Climate and Environment

The combination of very few factors has again shown the high power of destruction in the driest California in decades. A dry grass and brush fire in Orange County, an affluent area south of Los Angeles, grew out of control late Wednesday, aided by winds moving ashore from the Pacific. The flames destroyed 20 residences and, incidentally, fueled fears about the fire season, which is yet to begin in a state severely damaged by drought.

This Thursday, the images of the area showed the neighbors walking through the neighborhood and dragging the suitcases where they kept the belongings that they were able to save from the fire. Sassan Darian, a 38-year-old businessman who owns a small production company, hugged his cat Cyrus as he sat on the sidewalk mourning. Behind him, the remains of his family’s home were still smoldering, one of about 20 consumed throughout the night, according to county fire chief Brian Fennessy. Another 11 buildings were damaged.

“It’s heartbreaking to have seen such an aggressive fire while it’s still in May,” National Weather Service spokesman Brandt Maxwell told local media on Wednesday. First responders in the western United States are bracing for a fire season that typically begins in late May or early June. Climate change has blurred these stages. Orange County has recorded four fires so far this year. Southern California is enjoying mild temperatures these days, but winds of up to 30 miles per hour helped spread this fire through vegetation suffering from several years of drought.

County authorities, along with state authorities, are investigating the origin of the fire. The first call for help, received by emergency services on Wednesday afternoon, described flames next to a water treatment plant. Firefighters soon arrived in the area, but their work was hampered by thick vegetation and the direction of the fire, which was climbing a mountainous area. Police began evacuating residents of the Laguna Niguel area at 5:30 p.m. Two hours later, hundreds of houses in this affluent neighborhood were empty.

The threat has not yet vanished. On Thursday afternoon, the fire was only 15% contained and had already consumed 80 hectares. Orange County authorities have reported that 550 firefighters were battling the fire. Two were injured and taken to hospital to be treated for burns.

Southern California Edison, a company that operates the electricity grid in the area of ​​the incident, has recognized the California Public Utilities Commission, the regulator, which is studying an incident that occurred around the time the conflagration began. The company has not provided further details. These will be investigated in the coming weeks. Power companies, however, have been facing fines and lawsuits for several years. Some accidents in the laying of electricity cables serve as the initial spark for fires. Southern California Edison, for example, faced $550 million in fines in 2021 for being partially responsible for five fires that consumed 153,000 hectares.

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