Not again: Explosions heard as wildfires rip through California foothills (VIDEOS)

10 Jun, 2020 12:48 / Updated 4 years ago

In nightmarish scenes reminiscent of summer 2019, the California foothills are once again burning, returning the normally picturesque west coast to a nightmarish hellscape.

Shocking eyewitness footage from Wednesday morning shows the area just outside Los Angeles smouldering once again as authorities rush to prevent a catastrophe on the scale of last year’s wildfires.

All LA Fire Department and LA County water-bombing helicopters have been deployed to the area, while two firefighters suffered non-life threatening injuries battling the blaze. Authorities have slowed the progress of the fire but have yet to bring it fully under control. 

Following last year’s devastating blazes and coming in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the fire has set many locals on edge. “I fled this exact fire 7 months ago," one resident said.

The fire, which started at approximately 12:13 am local time, has so far consumed roughly 35 acres, though there have been no formal evacuation orders issued yet and the cause is under investigation.

Meanwhile, strong winds fanned the Quail fire in Northern California over the weekend, prompting evacuations as more than two square miles were consumed in a matter of hours, with gusts sending the smoke 30 miles east towards Sacramento.

Also on rt.com Tens of thousands evacuated as 70mph winds fuel California wildfires (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

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