Bush blaze hits California

Press, 11 October 1982, Page 8

Bush blaze hits California

NZPA Los Angeles Two big bush fires fanned by gusty winds raged through southern California yesterday, consuming at least 125 houses and caravans. One fire blazed a 35km path towards the Pacific Ocean. Property damage was heavy and hundreds of people fled their homes, but no injuries were reported. The rash of fires blackened skies over five southern Californian counties. and scorched about 30,000 hec-

tares. “All hell has broken loose out there," a Los Angeles County Fire Inspector, Paul Ouellette, said of a 23.500hectare blaze that seared its way 35km to the coast, sending clouds of red-tinged grey smoke towering into the air about 55km west of Los Angeles. Mr Ouellette said that the fire destroyed 60 singlefamily dwellings and 45 mobile homes at Paradise Cove on the coast above Malibu. He said that 20 or 30 homes were burned in Latigo 1 Canyon, an area described by

witnesses as totally devastated. Fire officials said that 750 fire-fighters were battling the blaze. - One fireman was taken to hospital when he suffered chest pains, said an Orange County Fire Department spokeswoman, Lucy Meyer. Dense smoke blotted out the sun and caused traffic chaos in the main highways. Thousands of vehicles were advancing at a snail pace in a bumper-to-bumper ' congestion that extended for several kilometres.