evacuations California fire
Bishop, Calif. (AP) — Strong winds on Monday drove a wildfire through a remote area of eastern California, prompting evacuations for hundreds of homes.
The Silver Fire erupted Sunday afternoon along Route 6 in Inyo County, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of Bishop in the Owens Valley.
By Monday evening, it had churned through nearly 2.5 square miles (about 6.5 square kilometers) of grass and brush, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Firefighters were able to stop its forward spread and had 47% contained.
Crews were expected to stay overnight to keep an eye on hotspots and work on containment.
The potential for 65 mph (104 kph) gusts limited flights by water-dropping helicopters and kept air tankers grounded, Cal Fire spokesperson Chloe Castillo said earlier on Monday.
evacuations California fire
“The winds are very erratic,” she said. “One minute they’re pushing north, the next they’re going east.”
Evacuations were ordered for about 800 homes near the tiny communities of Laws, Chalfant and White Mountain Estates.
Cal Fire said the blaze was threatening land belonging to the Bishop Paiute Tribe as well as habitats for endangered species including the Owens pupfish and desert bighorn sheep.
The cause was under investigation.
Inyo County, which borders on Nevada, has received very little recent precipitation and is abnormally dry, with some areas experiencing extreme drought.
Similarly, most of Southern California is in moderate to extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Notes from APS Radio News
During the past year California endured a number of wildfires, causing vast destruction in the Los Angeles area.
