Banning, CA – A thousand firefighters are battling a wildfire burning out of control in Southern California’s San Jacinto (hah-SIN’-toh) Mountains 90 miles east of Los Angeles.
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State fire spokeswoman Julie Hutchinson says the fire is still officially at 6,000 acres — more than 9 square miles — but that’s expected to increase after a Thursday morning mapping flight.
Flames are being pushed from west to east by a steady wind.
Fifteen structures are known to have burned since the blaze erupted Wednesday afternoon, but it’s not known how many are homes. Two firefighters and a civilian have been injured.
About 1,500 people have been evacuated from small communities.
This fire is 90 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles. You have to drive an hour out of Downtown Los Angeles just to begin to see the smoke clouds.
The reason for this comment is that many East Coasters ask me about the many wildfires in L.A. Just to drive on a quiet Sunday morning from one end of L.A. to the other can take you 4-6 hours with no traffic. Los Angeles is nearly 5000 square miles. The frum communities are spread out into different sections; Hancock Park, Fairfax, Pico-Robertson, Venice, and then the valley areas of North Hollywood, Valley Village, Woodland Hills, Encino, Tarzana, etc.
The answer is: No, B”H the fires aren’t anywhere near our communities.