Woolsey fire doubles to 70,000 acres as winds die down
Firefighters who have spent several grueling days battling the blaze on multiple fronts in
Crews on Saturday were planning to take advantage of lighter winds, focusing on setting up a perimeter around the edges of the blaze. Containment of the fire -- which refers to the percentage of the perimeter beyond which firefighters do not believe the flames will move -- still stands at zero percent.
Fire officials said they plan to particularly focus on the Eastern side of the fire, along
Hundreds of firefighters have been assigned to the blaze, but state resources are stretched with a deadly fire also burning in
The weather reprieve is likely only temporary.
Another round of strong
"We know Mother Nature has given us a reprieve today, but we need everyone to remain vigilant,"
The likelihood of stronger winds coming back, likely until Tuesday, has authorities reticent to provide a timeline for when evacuees can return or roadways re-open.
"Quite frankly, it's still not safe,"
Meanwhile, President
Two bodies were discovered on Friday within the fire's footprint in the
Law enforcement in both
See fire map and evacuation centers here
The flames have burned out of control for two days, with zero containment, since breaking out near the former Rocketdyne site south of
A staggering 250,000 people from at least 75,000 homes were estimated to be displaced by Saturday morning.
At least 150 homes across
Snarled traffic and road closures, as well as heavy smoke, have hindered travel though portions of
The fire burned onto part of the
Law enforcement officials are asking people to stay out of evacuated neighborhoods and vowed to arrest and prosecute anyone caught looting.
In
"The wind was whipping, the fire line was pretty intense," Taggart said. "Unfortunately we lost some homes."
Taggart recalled at one point seeing four homes ignited in flames at once.
"Trying to fight that with three or four engines is impossible," he said. "When the houses were going up, the wind was howling at 30 to 50 miles per hour, it was almost knocking my helmet off. Fire was jumping house to house."
Within the
Other homes escaped the blaze with little damage, with some residents staying behind to risk their lives to protect their property.
"If I had let it go it would have burned my house down," Lachman said.
"It basically came up and around my house," Janic said of the fire. "There were flames running up toward my door. For a split second I thought "I should have left."
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