California: 'Post Fire' Forces Evacuation Of At Least 1,200 Individuals; Cause Still Unknown

(Photo : Getty Images/ DAVID SWANSON/AFP)

A wildfire in California forced the evacuation of at least 1,200 individuals and burned 14,625 acres of land.

Fire Still Spreading

Firefighters from the California Fire said that they are currently battling a wildland fire in Gorman, near Hungry Valley State Park. They said that the fire has been spreading southeast toward Lake Pyramid.

So far, fire crews have been working to establish perimeter fire lines around the fire's edges.

To contain its effects among residents, an aircraft has been utilized to halt the fire's forward progress but are facing challenges due to limited visibility.

The California State Park Services have ensured the evacuation of some 1,200 people from Hungry Valley Park. Authorities also directed the closure of the Pyramid Lake due to the threat from the Post Fire.

Firefighters, meanwhile, guaranteed that they would continue working overnight to reinforce the existing perimeter on the fire's east side. This as they are expecting that the wind will push the fire further south towards Pyramid Lake.

So far, only 2% of the fire had been contained, according to the California Fire.

High temperatures and lower humidity are also forecasted for Monday, with authorities saying that winds expected to peak in the afternoon.

On the other hand, wind gusts may reach up to 20 MPH, with stronger winds at the ridge tops that are potentially reaching 50 MPH.

The National Weather Service warned that dangerous fire-weather conditions are expected to continue through at least Monday afternoon.

Fire authorities said that strong northwest to north winds would also combine with low daytime relative humidity, with only poor to moderate overnight relative humidity recovery.

They said that these conditions would be favorable for the rapid growth and spread of wildfires, including the ongoing Post Fire complex.

Officials noted that this is a Red Flag Warning for gusty northwest to north winds and low relative humidity for the Interstate-5 corridor in northwest Los Angeles County and the Ventura County mountains.

Cause Still Undetermined

They warned that there is a 40 percent chance that this warning could be extended into Monday night or Tuesday during the later forecasts.

Based on the forecast, elevated fire weather conditions is seen to persist in the Kern County mountains and the West Hills from Merced to Kern County up to Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, very strong Northwesterly to North winds and relative humidity values of near 10 percent are also forecasted.

The strongest winds were anticipated on Sunday evening and Monday, with sustained speeds of 25 to 35 mph, with frequent gusts near 55 mph.

Up to this time, the reason behind the fire has yet to be determined and is still under investigation.

Luckily, no injuries or fatalities had been reported by authorities.

Officials mentioned that California's wildfire season is off to an aggressive start. This year, fires have consumed around 41,900 acres, a number that was higher than the average of 27,100 acres burned during the same period during the past five years,