Thousands of people have been evacuated from the homes in southern California after a huge blaze marked the official start of the state’s “fire season”.
According to The Independent newspaper, some 4,000 homes in Riverside County were evacuated yesterday because they were threatened by the fire, which was started by a man who has now been arrested and charged. There are unconfirmed reports that several buildings were destroyed in the inferno.
The newspaper reports that Southern California’s “fire season” started on Monday – some three weeks earlier than in previous years – with temperatures already exceeding 37 degrees Centigrade.
Some 9,000 acres of land are believed to have been affected by the Riverside County fire.
Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad
