Hundreds flee and homes burn as powerful winds feed wildfires in Southern California

MOORPARK, Calif. (AP) — California was lashed by powerful winds Wednesday that fed a fast-moving wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes and forced hundreds of residents to flee as forecasters warned of the potential for “extreme and life-threatening” blazes.

Northwest of Los Angeles, the Mountain Fire exploded in size and prompted evacuation orders for suburban communities, ranches and agricultural areas near Santa Paula in southern Ventura County. A thick plume of smoke rose hundreds of feet into the sky, blanketing whole neighborhoods and limiting visibility for firefighters and evacuees.

At around 9:15 a.m. the blaze was mapped at just under 250 acres (100 hectares), and by 2:45 p.m. it was nearly 42 times larger at over 16 square miles (62 square kilometers).

The erratic winds grounded fixed-wing aircraft because of “very dangerous” conditions caused by gusts topping 61 mph (98 kph), said weather service meteorologist Bryan Lewis. He said pilots could encounter turbulence capable of bringing a plane down, as well limited visibility from the smoke. Water-dropping helicopters were still flying.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/powerful-winds-low-humidity-raise-161307195.html