82,000 Evacuated Over Wildfire Near L.A.

More than 82,000 residents near Los Angeles were ordered to evacuate overnight after wildfires swept through the area Tuesday, just two weeks after firefighters struggled to put out the massive Sand Fire near the same area, plagued by drought and summer heat. San Bernardino County firefighters described the fire as spreading at breakneck speed, growing to 14 square miles in just a few hours, with flames as high as 80 feet. It affected mostly communities in the San Bernardino Mountains, but also spread east and west above the Cajon Pass. The fire also forced authorities to shut down Interstate 15, which connects Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Some buildings were destroyed, but it was not clear how many. “This fire is burning in significantly different terrains at multiple elevation levels,” San Bernardino County Fire spokesman Eric Sherwin said. Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency, giving firefighters extra funds and resources to get the fire under control and conduct recovery efforts.