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Fueled by strong wind conditions, wildfires broke out throughout California on Thursday. This forced tens of thousands of people to flee as the massive wildfires forced widespread evacuations in both northern and southern California.
A fast-moving wildfire destroyed the entire town of Paradise near Sacramento, and forced some residents there and in nearby cities to drive through flames in smoke-blackened conditions to escape.
In Southern California, fierce Santa Ana winds, rapidly spread wildfires forcing thousands to evacuate in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, including the entire town of Malibu.
The largest inferno occurred in Northern California. North of Sacramento, fire lit up the entire the town of Paradise, which is home to some 27,000 people, leaving it completely devastated. Firefighters estimate that possibly as many as 1000 buildings or more have been destroyed, while another 15,000 remain threatened, according to CalFire. Officials won’t have a more exact number until they are able to survey the damage.
As of Friday morning, the fire was encroaching on the nearby town of Chico, prompting evacuations there. The city is home to more than 90,000 residents. Other towns north of paradise were also evacuated, including Sterling City, Centerville, Butte Creek, Concow Pulga and Inskip.
Residents in these areas were quickly overwhelmed by the fires, where smoke created pitch-black conditions, forcing some residents to drive through flames and thick smoke to escape.
Fast-moving wildfires in Southern California forced approximately 75,000 homes to evacuate on short notice in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, including forcing the evacuation of the entire beachside community of Malibu which lies along 21 miles of coastline in his home to 13,000 residents.
The largest fire in Ventura County is the “Hill Fire,” which caused an evacuation of the Cal State University Channel Islands campus after the flames jumped the 101 Freeway, causing a shut down in both directions.
A second fire in Ventura County, “The Wolseley Fire,” forced residential evacuations in the community of Oak Park.
In Los Angeles County, evacuations were ordered for the areas of Westlake Village, Calabasas and Chesebro Canyon, where up to 30,000 homes are threatened.
