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Californians flee raging wildfire

SANTA BARBARA (California): Firefighters struggled on Friday to get ahead of a raging wildfire that was moving dangerously close to heavily populated areas in this idyllic coastal city. Neighbourhoods of multimillion dollar mansions stood like ghost towns, bathed in the eerie orange glow cast by the nearby blaze.

The fire’s increasing strength prompted officials to order 6,000 more people to evacuate late Thursday, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said. That pushed the total number of evacuated residents to at least 18,000.

Another evacuation order was issued early on Friday in a densely populated area where many mobile home parks are located. The number of people affected by the order wasn’t immediately known.

The blaze was approaching homes in the city’s more populated, flat area below its steep canyons. Fire officials said flames jumped a road dividing the hilly terrain from the flatlands below and ignited spot fires in brush surrounding houses.

The seasonal wildfires that menace this idyllic coastal city — home to screen stars and former Presidents — roared to life earlier in the year than usual but their ferocity is familiar. said the blaze was particularly tough to fight as it spread into rugged terrain with thick brush that served as fuel and limited firefighting aircraft.— AP

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