California - Saba:
The US authorities issued evacuation orders for more than 50,000 people late on Wednesday after a new forest fire broke out in an area that recently witnessed devastating fires north of Los Angeles.
American media reports last night indicated that the fires were spreading rapidly near Lake Castaic, and had destroyed hundreds of acres in less than two hours.
They indicated that the hot and dry Santa Ana winds blowing over the area helped fuel the fire, which led to a huge cloud of smoke rising over the burning areas.
Evacuation orders were issued in the areas surrounding the lake, located about 50 km north of Los Angeles, and near the city of Santa Clarita.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said in a statement on Wednesday evening: "The situation we are facing today is completely different from the situation we were in 16 days ago."
So far, no homes or other buildings have been reported to have been burned.
Southern California is on alert, since massive fires devastated parts of Los Angeles, killing at least 27 people and destroying more than 15,000 buildings.
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