Schwarzenegger declares state of emergency in Los Angeles as wildfires rage
14/10/2008 17:23
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday declared a state of
emergency in Los Angeles and nearby Ventura County, where massive wind-whipped
wildfires burned out of control, destroying more than 10,000 acres and leaving
at least two people dead.
Schwarzenegger made the declaration in response to
two major fires north of Los Angeles, freeing up state funding and resources to
tackle the blazes.
In Sacramento, the state capital, the governor's Office of
Emergency Services activated its State Operations Center as Schwarzenegger
authorized state agencies to work with local officials.
"Winds are causing
fire conditions to change by the hour, which is why it is so important that
residents in the areas surrounding these wildfires heed warnings from public
safety officials to evacuate," said Schwarzenegger.
The governor is expected
to take part in a briefing on the Marek fire, about 50 km north of downtown Los
Angeles, this morning and visit the evacuation shelter at a local high
school.
The fire, which broke out in the Angeles National Forest early
Sunday, has burned more than 5,300 acres by late yesterday, while another fire
in the nearby Porter Ranch area has quickly raged across more than 5,000 acres
since it broke out in the morning.
Thousands of residents were ordered to
evacuate from the areas, where the fires have destroyed about 20 homes and other
structures, officials said.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa confirmed
earlier that a homeless man was killed in the Marek fire when the blaze swept
over a makeshift shelter, while officials were checking reports that a second
person might have died.
Fire officials warned yesterday evening that the
strong desert winds were expected to worsen overnight, and the blazes could even
burn toward the Pacific Ocean.
Several smaller fires also broke out yesterday
in areas across Southern California, while in Northern California, hundreds of
firefighters managed to hold back a wildfire that had consumed much of San
Francisco's Angle Island.
"As fires burn across California, I want to commend
all of the firefighters who are bravely battling these aggressive flames and the
first responders who are helping their communities and fellow neighbors,"
Schwarzenegger said.
Xinhua
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