PEOPLE AND PLACES

PEOPLE AND PLACES

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

CALIFORNIA FIRE SEASON BEGINS

 

 

Last Thursday, a wildfire started in California's Angeles National Forest, north of Los Angeles, near a hydroelectric plant called as Powerhouse No. 1. The Powerhouse fire was pushed by erratic dry winds, destroying at least six homes near Lake Hughes, damaging many more, and leading to the evacuation of several thousand residents. Cooler weather has now allowed the firefighters to reach 60% containment of the fire, and some residents were allowed to return home. [28 photos]

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Yuccas catch fire as the Powerhouse fire makes a fast run toward Lake Hughes on June 1, 2013 south of Lake Hughes, California. The 32,000-acre wildfire destroyed numerous homes. More than 2,000 firefighters have been working in hot, dry conditions to establish containment lines around 60 percent of the fire as of June 4. (David McNew/Getty Images)

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A landscape glows immediately after the main fire front swept over, south of Lake Hughes, California, on June 1, 2013.(David McNew/Getty Images) #

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Sparks fly from a glowing tree immediately after the main fire front swept over, south of Lake Hughes, California, on June 1, 2013.(David McNew/Getty Images) #

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Fallen brush glows immediately after the Powerhouse fire passed over, on June 1, 2013 south of Lake Hughes, California.(David McNew/Getty Images) #

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A helicopter pulls water out of Hughes Lake to fight the Powerhouse fire in Lake Hughes, California, on June 2, 2013.(AP Photo/Reed Saxon) #

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The Powerhouse Fire burns in the Angeles National Forest northwest of Los Angeles sending up a huge plume of smoke on June 1, 2013.(AP Photo/John Antczak) #

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Flames rise near a firefighter as the Powerhouse fire burns on June 1, 2013 south of Lake Hughes, California.(David McNew/Getty Images) #

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Fire surrounds Lake Elizabeth during the Powerhouse fire in the early morning hours of June 2, 2013 near Lake Hughes, California.(David McNew/Getty Images) #

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Sparks fly from a hollowed tree burning within, during the Powerhouse fire in the early morning hours of June 2, 2013 near Lake Hughes, California. (David McNew/Getty Images) #

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The landscape glows immediately after the main fire front swept over, on June 1, 2013 south of Lake Hughes, California.(David McNew/Getty Images) #

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A stone chimney is all that remains of a burning house near Lake Hughes, on June 2, 2013. (David McNew/Getty Images) #

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Winds whipped by the Powerhouse fire create a 'firenado' near Lake Hughes, on June 1, 2013. (Reuters/Gene Blevins) #

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Sparks fall from a burning tree after the Powerhouse fire swept through on June 1, 2013 south of Lake Hughes, California.(David McNew/Getty Images) #

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A glowing landscape of embers, shortly after the Powerhouse fire swept over on June 1, 2013, south of Lake Hughes, California.(David McNew/Getty Images) #

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The Powerhouse fire makes a run toward Lake Hughes, on June 1, 2013. (David McNew/Getty Images) #

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A firefighting helicopter carrying a load of water heads to a spot fire as it passes below the sun in Lake Hughes on June 3, 2013 near Palmdale, California. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) #

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A firefighter watches from a rooftop as the Powerhouse fire closes in around the Canyon Creek Complex sports camp, on June 1, 2013.(David McNew/Getty Images) #

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A plane drops fire retardant on the Powerhouse fire near Lake Hughes, California, on June 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) #

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A window frames the view of a home damaged by wildfires in Lake Hughes, California, on June 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon) #

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Firefighters watch as the Powerhouse fire closes in around them at the Canyon Creek Complex sports camp, on June 1, 2013.(David McNew/Getty Images) #

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A firefighting helicopter drops fire retardant on a flare up at the Powerhouse Fire, near Lake Hughes, on June 3, 2013.(Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images) #

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The Powerhouse fire surrounds the Canyon Creek Complex sports camp on June 1, 2013. (David McNew/Getty Images) #

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Firefighters battle the Powerhouse wildfire in the Angeles National Forest, on June 1, 2013. (Reuters/Gene Blevins) #

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The landscape glows immediately after the Powerhouse fire swept over, on June 1, 2013. (David McNew/Getty Images) #

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Firefighters battle the Powerhouse wildfire in the Angeles National Forest, with the fire now having destroyed several homes near the Lake Hughes area in California, on June 1, 2013. (Reuters/Gene Blevins) #

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Fire engulfs a house as firefighters battle the Powerhouse wildfire, on June 1, 2013. (Reuters/Gene Blevins) #

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Fire engulfs a house as firefighters battle the Powerhouse wildfire, on June 1, 2013. (Reuters/Gene Blevins) #

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Firefighters battle the Powerhouse wildfire in the Angeles National Forest, near Lake Hughes, California, on June 2, 2013. Cooler weather has allowed the firefighters to reach 60% containment of the fire. (Reuters/Gene Blevins)

Starting about 2 p.m. on Wednesday, a wind-whipped wildfire named the Silver Fire started near a back-country road about 90 miles (145 km) outside Los Angeles in Riverside County, and within hours had blackened more than 5,000 acres. Nearly 1,500 firefighters are now battling the blaze, gaining some ground and declaring the fire 25 percent contained -- but only after several people were burned and dozens of homes were lost. Although the fire continues to advance, hopes for containment are high as favorable weather conditions have been forecast for the weekend.

 

A home burns as it is consumed by the Silver Fire near Banning, California, on August 7, 2013. The wildfire raged out of control in the high desert east of Los Angeles on Wednesday, injuring two firefighters and one civilian and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents of three small communities. (Reuters/Gene Blevins)

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A helicopter drops water over a wildfire in Cabazon, California, on August 8, 2013. About 1,500 people have fled and three were injured as a wildfire in the Southern California mountains quickly spread. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) #

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A firefighter battles a wildfire in Cabazon, California, on August 8, 2013. A growing wildfire chewed through a rugged Southern California mountain range on Thursday, damaging buildings, threatening as many as 600 homes and forcing some 1,500 people to flee.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) #

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Fire spreads up the north side of the San Jacinto Mountains near wind turbines at the Silver Fire, near Banning, California, on August 8, 2013. Firefighters gained ground against a wind-whipped California wildfire that has destroyed 15 buildings, injured at least five people and forced the evacuation of 500 homes in several small communities east of Los Angeles. (Reuters/David McNew) #

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Smoke from the Silver Fire rises over electric wind turbines near the community of Cabazon, on August 8, 2013.(Reuters/David McNew) #

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Fire spreads up the north side of the San Jacinto Mountains, near wind turbines at the Silver Fire, near Banning, on August 8, 2013.(Reuters/David McNew) #

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Fire spreads across the San Jacinto Mountains east of Banning, California, on August 8, 2013. (Reuters/David McNew) #

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Smoke from the Silver Fire rises above the San Jacinto Mountains behind one of the Cabazon Dinosaurs, a roadside attraction also known as Claude Bell's Dinosaurs, in Cabazon, on August 8, 2013. (Reuters/David McNew) #

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A DC-10 firefighting jet drops fire retardant on the Silver Fire near Banning, on August 7, 2013. (Reuters/David McNew) #

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Wind turbines in the distance, beyond hills blackened by the Silver Fire near Banning, on August 8, 2013. (Reuters/David McNew) #

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Firefighters return to the scene of an overnight fire to ensure embers are put out on a hillside south of Banning, on August 8, 2013.(Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images) #

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Jessica Wagner hoses down her property as the Silver Fire moves into the foothills above her home on Ida Avenue in Cabazon, on August 8, 2013. (Reuters/Jason Redmond) #

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The Silver Fire spreads in the early morning hours near Banning, on August 8, 2013. (Reuters/David McNew) #

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Firefighters spray water near a burning house in the Twin Pines Road area near Banning, on August 7, 2013. (Reuters/David McNew) #

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The Silver Fire burns near homes in the community of Cabazon in the early morning hours near Banning, on August 8, 2013.(Reuters/David McNew) #

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Shawn Kaye, a television news photographer, put down his camera and picked up a garden hose to help save a house from the garage that was fully consumed in the Silver Fire near Banning, on August 7, 2013. (Reuters/Gene Blevins) #

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A car burns as it is consumed by the Silver Fire near Banning, on August 7, 2013. (Reuters/Gene Blevins) #

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A firefighter battles flames at a home consumed by the Silver Fire near Banning, on August 7, 2013. (Reuters/Gene Blevins) #

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The Silver Fire burns near electric energy wind generators in the community of Cabazon in the early morning hours near Banning,on August 8, 2013. (Reuters/David McNew) #

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Wind-blown embers fly from an ancient oak tree that burned in the Silver Fire near Banning, on August 7, 2013.(Reuters/David McNew) #

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The Silver Fire lights up the night near Banning, on August 7, 2013. (Reuters/Gene Blevins) #

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A smouldering mountainside, seen under the stars after being burned by the Silver Fire near Banning, California, on August 7, 2013.(Reuters/David McNew)

   

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