(Reuters) — Fire officials in Orange Country, California ordered the evacuation of about 30 homes late on Friday (September 12) after a fire that started earlier in the day had grown to consume more than 1,300 acres later in the night.
The blaze was first reported at about 15 acres on Friday morning, burning in Silverado Canyon, part of the Santa Ana Mountains, approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. By early afternoon, the flames had spread to 350 acres, according to the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA)
During the day of Friday more than 100 firefighters fought the blaze, dropping water and retardant on the fire from helicopters. But the extremely hot and dry weather is making the fire difficult to contain.
Los Angeles health officials on Friday issued a special “heat alert” for this weekend, urging residents to take special precautions with temperatures expected to soar into triple digits across the region.
With California already baking under a record drought that has brought acute water shortages, forecasts called for temperatures to reach more than 100 degrees in downtown Los Angeles and even higher in some surrounding communities.
