Authorities Issue Mandatory Evacuation as Fire Intensifies in Los Angeles Heights

Local authorities in Los Angeles issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents of Wrightwood and Mount Baldy counties of the southwestern US, after a massive fire intensified in the city's heights, destroying dozens of homes and burned about 20,000 hectares of land in 24 hours. Los Angeles Fire Department reported that the blaze, one of three uncontrolled fires near the second largest city in the United States, destroyed at least 33 homes. According to Sheriff of Los Angeles County Robert Luna, three people, including a policeman, were trapped in a remote area due to heavy smoke and closed roads, stressing that rescue teams were preparing for aerial intervention once the smoke clears. Fires expanded due to the heatwave that hit the area, with temperatures exceeding 43 degrees in some places in recent days, before beginning to decline on Wednesday. Source: Qatar News Agency