Stronger winds whip California fires as thousands evacuate
As fast-moving wildfires continue to burn in California, officials say the state is expected to experience powerful winds - possibly the strongest of the season - Tuesday night, which would likely make the situation much worse…
Ryan Walburn of the National Weather Service on Tuesday said winds were already starting to pick up..
(SOUNDBITE) RYAN WALBURN, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, SAYING:
"We're starting to get reports of 30-40 miles per hour winds up there/what that means is a challenging afternoon and evening/ so we are in a critical 24-hour period/ the good news is that after we get through this wind event things do look favorably in the next 5-7 days where we'll get to a more tranquil pattern, no rain in the forecast.."
In the bone-dry wine country up north, winds will hit up to 65 miles per hour in the mountain areas until at least Wednesday….
And further south, the Santa Ana winds could fan the flames into late Thursday, according to the National Weather Service…
On Monday a fire broke out dangerously close to the iconic Getty Center mueum near the 405 LA freeway.
Thousands of residents have fled their homes including L.A. Lakers star LeBron James and "Terminator" actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who encouraged residents to heed evacuation orders…
Cal Fire Division Chief Jonathan Cox said the Kincade fire in the north has ravaged California's wine country.
The Kincade fire has scorched more than 74,000 acres and destroyed over 100 homes, according to state fire officials and hundreds of thousands have lost power as a fire prevention measure ahead of the wind storms…
