The Latest: California wildfire rages near Reagan library
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on California wildfires (all times local):
7:20 a.m.
A spokeswoman for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library says it is being protected by firefighters as a wind-driven wildfire burns nearby in hills northwest of Los Angeles.
Melissa Giller said Wednesday morning that the hilltop library in the city of Simi Valley is safe as the fire burns between Simi Valley and Moorpark, where evacuations have been ordered.
Giller says the portion of the library closest to the fire is a pavilion housing a former Air Force One aircraft.
The portion of the library housing archives faces away from the fire.
Giller says hundreds of goats are brought in each year to the library grounds as a fire prevention method so they can eat away vegetation that can fuel wildfires on the undeveloped portions of the 300-acre (121-hectare) property.
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6:40 a.m.
A large new wildfire has erupted in Southern California as strong Santa Ana winds blow through the region and officials ordered mandatory evacuations.
Television images showed the fire burning before dawn Wednesday in the Simi Valley area about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Ventura County officials have tweeted that the brush fire is large without providing more details on its size and say it is burning between the cities of Simi Valley and Moorpark.
Mandatory evacuations were issued but officials did not say how many people were subject to the orders.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is in the vicinity.
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6 a.m.
Fire danger warnings blanket a large swath of California because of gusty winds and extremely dry air.
The National Weather Service says Santa Ana winds developed more slowly than expected in Southern California but strong gusts topping 50 mph (80 kph) are being reported early Wednesday.
So far, the winds have stayed away from the section of Los Angeles that burned Monday in the Getty fire, where there’s concern that smoldering embers could be carried away by gusts and start new fires.
In Northern California, winds are beginning to decline, but forecasters warn that fire danger remains.
The weather service says winds topped out near 70 mph (112 kph) at the highest elevations north of San Francisco Bay, where firefighters are battling the destructive Kincade Fire in the Sonoma County wine country.
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10:43 p.m.
Californians are facing winds, wildfires and darkness from yet another power outage for more than 1 million people.
Pacific Gas & Electric is blacking out about 1.5 million people in some 30 counties to prevent high winds from toppling power lines and sparking fires. It’s the third shutoff in a week.
A fire in northern wine country and another in the wealthy Brentwood area of Los Angeles have burned dozens of homes. Both were driven by strong winds.
The Sonoma County area was hit by gusts of 30 mph (48 kph) or more Tuesday but firefighters report little growth in the blaze, with winds were expected to ease Wednesday.
But in the south, forecasters say hot, dry Santa Ana winds through Thursday could bring gusts of 50 to 80 mph (128.7 kph) at times.
