Thousands told to evacuate as California cities burn under out-of-control wildfire

Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate as cities in California burn with uncontrollable wildfires amid a days-long heat wave with temperatures above 30 degrees.

Video footage has captured this weekend’s out-of-control wildfires, which burned thousands of acres in California, Oregon and Nevada.

The so-called Line Fire raged unchecked along the edge of the San Bernardino National Forest, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.

The fire in Southern California has spread to more than 55,000 acres.

UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said the fire “now has room to spread in three directions and there are population centers and pretty dense, dry vegetation between those population centers.”

Firefighters are working to extinguish numerous homes destroyed by fire as the Boyles Fire rages in Clearlake, California

The fire broke out on Thursday evening and its cause is being investigated.

The fire remained out of control Sunday afternoon. By Sunday morning, the fire had charred about 27 square miles (70 square kilometers) of grass and chaparral, leaving a thick cloud of dark smoke blanketing the area.

The fire raged so fiercely on Saturday that it created its own storm-like weather system of pyroclastic clouds.

According to the National Weather Service, this could lead to more difficult conditions, such as strong gusts of wind and lightning strikes.

Firefighter Gus Laws extinguishes flames from a home as the Boyles Fire rages in Clearlake, California, on Sunday, September 8.

Officials said firefighters also had to deal with steep terrain, making it difficult to control the fire.

About 500 firefighters battled the blaze, supported by helicopters that dropped water on houses and hills, and by planes.

Now, the out-of-control wildfire in the foothills of a national forest east of Los Angeles is threatening tens of thousands of buildings.

Steven Michael King, a Running Springs resident, told The Associated Press he planned to stay to fight the fire and help his neighbors until Sunday morning, when the blaze escalated.

Firefighter Nolan Graham sprays water around a charred garage as the Boyles Fire rages in Clearlake, California, on Sunday, September 8.

He had prepared his home to prevent fire damage, but decided to leave anyway for fear that the smoke would later prevent him from getting outside.

“It came down to, what’s worse, being stuck or being in a shelter?” he said Sunday outside an evacuation center. “When the circumstances changed, I had to make a quick decision, just a couple of packages and it all fit in a shopping cart.”

Joseph Escobedo said his family has lived in Angelus Oaks for about three years and has never evacuated because of a wildfire. His family, which includes three young children, was among the few who had not left the area as of Sunday afternoon.

“It’s pretty scary to lose your home and everything that we’ve worked so hard for,” Escobedo said as his family packed up supplies to leave. “It’s hard to leave and not know if you can come back.”

The Line Fire continues to rage in the mountains of the San Bernardino National Forest above Highland, California

Police officers hold a conversation as the Boyles Fire rages in Clearlake, California

Arrowbear Lake resident Michael Lee said he left his home Saturday afternoon with his dog. Lee, a photographer, had gone back to retrieve a camera and didn’t arrive at the evacuation center in Highland until nearly seven hours later.

“I want to go back home,” Lee said as he sat in his car outside the evacuation center. “It’s terribly cold here, with temperatures in the high 30s.”

State fire officials said three firefighters were injured and more than 35,000 buildings were threatened, including single-family homes, multi-family homes and commercial buildings.

Thunderstorms are expected later in the day, which could make it even more difficult to get the fire under control.

“Afternoon thunderstorms could spark new ignitions and potentially impact activity around the fire boundary,” state fire officials said in an update Sunday morning. “Hot, dry conditions mixed with thunderstorms are expected to challenge firefighters over the next few days.”