INFERNO

‘Out of Control’ California Wildfire Sends Thousands Fleeing

The newest blaze to erupt in California has spread to residential areas of Santa Barbara County.

A new wildfire erupted in Southern California on Friday night, burning at least 20 homes and prompting thousands of evacuations in Santa Barbara County. Residents in the city of Goleta reportedly rushed to evacuate their pets and loved ones as the so-called Holiday Fire moved into residential areas on Friday night. Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni said the blaze, which reportedly began as a house fire before spreading, was “completely out of control,” with “no containment,” according to local media reports. Fire officials said up to 2,500 people had fled the area as the blaze consumed as many as 80 acres. A spate of wildfires have wreaked havoc across the state amid record-high temperatures, with fire crews also battling several blazes in San Diego County and another one on the California-Oregon border.