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82,000 forced to evacuate as fire rages in California: officials

Xinhua, August 17, 2016 Adjust font size:

A fast-moving wildfire erupted Tuesday morning in San Bernardino County, in the south of the western U.S. state of California, forcing more than 82,000 people to evacuate, officials said on Tuesday night.

Hot weather conditions, dry winds and heavy bushes quickly spread the flames, which officials said were sparked on Tuesday morning.

Dubbed the "Bluecut" fire, flames spread from five acres to about 9,000 acres within hours. Video from the scene showed at least one house and several nearby structures were ablaze. The fire was also threatening 34,500 structures, local media reported.

The region is under red flag warnings for high fire danger. California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County as a result of the growing fire.

Five people were injured in accidents and were transported by ambulance to local hospitals, the San Bernardino County fire department tweeted.

Several fires in Southern California this summer have destroyed homes, caused power outages and subjected residents to repeated evacuation orders. Endi