California Wildfire Rages . . .

diana@1WC'sChannel - Out of control kebakaran yang semakin meningkat pada kelajuan di selatan California telah dibakar rumah, memaksa pemindahan beberapa komuniti dan meninggalkan 3 orang cedera, termasuk 2 anggota bomba.

Kebakaran berlaku kira-kira 02:00 (22:00 BST) waktu tempatan pada hari Rabu berhampiran Banning di selatan California dan melonjak menelan-kurangnya 6,000 ekar, atau lebih daripada 9 batu persegi, dalam masa beberapa jam.

Orang awam terbakar yang dialami dan telah diterbangkan ke hospital, California Jabatan Perhutanan dan Perlindungan Kebakaran berkata dalam satu kenyataan. 2 anggota bomba turut cedera dan kedua-dua mereka dibawa ke hospital dengan ambulans. Pegawai tidak akan memberikan maklumat lanjut mengenai kecederaan.

Pegawai kebakaran berkata kira-kira sedozen struktur telah rosak atau musnah, tetapi tidak boleh mengatakan berapa ramai rumah. Lebih 500 anggota bomba, dibantu oleh 5 helikopter dan 5 tangki udara, telah berusaha untuk melindungi rumah dan mendapatkan lebih awal daripada api.

Perintah pemindahan diberikan bagi masyarakat luar bandar popet Flats, Twin Pines, Edna Valley dan Senyap Valley, dan pusat-pusat pemindahan telah ditubuhkan di sekolah-sekolah di Hemet dan Banning. Masyarakat yang berada di Pergunungan San Jacinto sepanjang Interstate 10, kira-kira 80 kilometer di timur Los Angeles.

An out-of-control wildfire growing at speed in southern California has burned  homes, forced the evacuation of several communities and left three people  injured, including two firefighters.

The fire broke out about 2pm (10pm BST) local time on Wednesday near Banning in southern California and surged to engulf least 6,000 acres, or more than 9 square miles, within a few hours.

One civilian suffered burns and was airlifted to hospital, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement. Two firefighters were also injured and both were taken to hospitals by ambulance. Officials would give no further details on the injuries.

Fire officials said about a dozen structures were damaged or destroyed, but could not say how many were homes. More than 500 firefighters, helped by five helicopters and five air tankers, were working to protect homes and get ahead of the flames.

Evacuation orders were given for the rural communities of Poppet Flats, Twin Pines, Edna Valley and Silent Valley, and evacuation centres were set up at high schools in Hemet and Banning.  The communities are in the San Jacinto Mountains along Interstate 10, some 80 miles east of Los Angeles.