"Bobcat" fire rages in northern Los Angeles - evacuations ordered

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Helicopters dump water over the fires of the "Bobcat" fire in the mountains north of Los Angeles.

Photo: GENE BLEVINS / REUTERS

At least there is some relaxation high in the north: Onset of showers and general humidity helped the around 9,000 fire fighters in the US states of Washington and Oregon at least a little better to fight some of the devastating forest fires.

The all-clear is still a long way off: 29 fires are still raging in the region, including the huge Riverside Fire southeast of Portland in Oregon.

In the coming days, there will be more rainfalls in the northwest of the USA.

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The source of the "Bobcat" fire at Juniper Hill: so far only 15 percent under control

Photo: GENE BLEVINS / REUTERS

In California, however, especially in the southern part of the state, it is dry.

And according to US meteorologists, it stays that way.

Strong, dry winds also fuel the fires.

Above all, the fires called "Bobcat" and "El Dorado" near Juniper Hills in the San Gabriel Mountains and in the Antelope Valley north of Los Angeles grew from just under 295 to around 379 square kilometers in one day at the weekend.

Local authorities have already asked residents in the affected areas to leave their homes.

Many buildings were damaged and others threatened by the flames.

According to the authorities, more than 1,600 emergency services fought the flames with more than 200 fire engines and several helicopters in the area of ​​this fire alone, but the fire has so far only been controlled by around 15 percent.

"The severity of this fire was shocking," said resident Roland Pagan of the "Los Angeles Times" about the Bobcat fire.

Pagan, 80 years old, had to watch through binoculars from a nearby hill as the flames devoured his house in Juniper Hills in just 20 minutes.

It took him nine years to build the two-story home.

"I'm in shock," said Pagan.

In the nearby San Bernardino National Park, a firefighter was killed in the El Dorado fire while extinguishing the fire, the authorities said.

This increased the number of deaths in California to a total of 26. The fire, which has meanwhile been widespread, was triggered by fireworks at a "Gender Reveal Party" at the beginning of September, a celebration at which the gender of the expected offspring is announced.

The El Dorado fire has so far destroyed an area of ​​almost 90 square kilometers, but the fire is about 59 percent under control.

The devastating fires, known as wildfires, have been raging on the US west coast since mid-August.

In California alone, around 19,000 emergency services are fighting more than two dozen major fires, and 5800 houses went up in flames.

In Washington and Oregon, the thick clouds of smoke that had enveloped large areas in the northwest for days largely dissolved over the weekend.

Because of the rain and emerging winds, the authorities in Oregon have now warned of possible landslides.

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bor / dpa