Thousands of residents in Southern California were forced to evacuate on Saturday due to a rapidly expanding wildfire, which grew to thousands of acres within just a few hours and is now so intense that it is creating its own weather patterns.
The Line Fire, which ignited roughly 53 hours ago in San Bernardino County, has now scorched over 17,237 acres, a sharp increase from the nearly 7,000 acres it had burned earlier in the day.
Evacuation orders have impacted around 4,800 homes in areas like Running Springs and Arrowbear Lake, according to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. Hundreds more residents in Highland have also been evacuated.
As of Saturday evening, the fire was 0% contained. It was first detected near the base of the San Bernardino Mountains, close to the Natural Parkland Trailhead, on Thursday evening.
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The blaze has generated pyrocumulus clouds, a weather phenomenon caused by intense heat. These clouds can create erratic winds, which further fuel the fire’s rapid spread.
In extreme cases, pyrocumulus clouds can develop into pyrocumulonimbus, producing lightning and rain and potentially leading to thunderstorms.
Several communities remain under evacuation warnings, with services set up for evacuated pets and livestock. As the fire worsened, evacuation orders were extended to additional areas, according to an announcement on X (formerly Twitter).
The American Red Cross established a shelter at a local church for displaced residents. Multiple agencies, including Cal Fire, the US Forest Service, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff, are collaborating to combat the blaze.
In just over 30 hours, the fire expanded from around 1,180 acres to its current size, driven by dangerous conditions.
Meanwhile, the region experienced further challenges as two earthquakes, measuring 3.5 and 3.9 in magnitude, struck Ontario, California, just 30 minutes apart, shaking nearby areas including Los Angeles.
Neighboring Nevada is also grappling with a dangerous fire. The Davis Fire, driven by strong winds, burned around 1,500 acres and destroyed at least six structures by Saturday evening, according to officials.
The fires and earthquakes are occurring as the Western U.S. faces a heatwave, with Southern California experiencing temperatures between 95°F and 105°F—significantly higher than the region’s usual averages.
