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Blue Cut Fire in California Forces 82,000 to Flee Homes

© AFP 2023 / Pedro ARMESTRE A firefighters tries to extinguish flames
A firefighters tries to extinguish flames - Sputnik International
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More than 82,000 residents in the San Bernardino area have been forced to flee their homes as a rapidly spreading wildfire rages through rural communities in Southern California.

The Blue Cut fire broke out Tuesday around 10:30 a.m. (17:30 GMT), some 60 miles east of Los Angeles. By Wednesday evening it had charred almost 26,000 acres, according to a state firefighting agency spokesperson.

​California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino County, and over 82,000 people were forced to leave their homes in the path of the fire, for shelters set up by The Red Cross.

​​San Bernardino County Fire Department battalion chief Michael Wakoski said that it had been four decades since he last saw a fire so intense.

"It hit hard, it hit fast, it hit with intensity that we haven't seen before," San Bernardino County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig said. "There will be a lot of families that will come home to nothing."

Over 1,500 firefighters and other emergency workers are fighting to contain the blaze. To assist efforts, the California Air National Guard on Wednesday activated two C-130J Hercules air tankers.

​One of the buildings ruined by the fire is the legendary Summit Inn diner on world-famous Route 66, in which celebrities, including Elvis Presley and Clint Eastwood, were known to visit.

California has been suffering from an extreme five-year drought, with temperatures reaching 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) in parts of the state. Strong seasonal gusts, known as Santa Ana winds, help wildfires expand quickly.

​"It all aligned. The wind, the fuel and the topography," said Capt. Howard Deets. "When that happens there's nothing you can do about it. You could throw the world's firefighting resources at it and it's just going to keep going."

No deaths have been reported in the wildfire. Six county firefighters were slightly injured as they were protecting homes and helping evacuate residents in Swarthout Canyon, but resumed battling the fire after treatment.

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