California fires still raging and ravaging
LOS ANGELES
No deaths were reported, but the Los Angeles police chief said he feared judgments might find bodies among the 500 burned dwellings in a devastated mobile-home park that housed many older citizens.
A fire that ravaged Sylmar in the hillsides above Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley grew to 6,500 acres
“We wish almost total devastation here in the mobile (home) park,” Los Angeles Fire Capt. Steve Ruda said. “I can’t even read the street names because the way signs are melting.”
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of conjuncture in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. Fire officials estimated that at its peak 10,000 people were in orders to evacuate, including residents of the mobile-home park.
As multitude as 30 homes, some mansions, burned in a violence in Orange and Riverside counties, officials said.
The Los Angeles blaze, whose ground was in the state investigation, threatened at least 1,000 structures, city Fire Department spokeswoman Melissa Kelley said. A burned resident was in serious condition, and four firefighters were treated as antidote to subordinate injuries.
At an retreat center, Lucretia Romero, 65, wore a string of pearls and clutched the purse and jerkin she snatched as firefighters shouted at her to flee hours earlier.
Her daughter, Alisa, 42, wore a bloodstained shirt and pants. A helicopter dropping water on their home caused the entryway ceiling to collapse. Debris scratched her effrontery and gave her a black eye.
They were optimistic that their home of 30 years survived because firefighters were there when they left. But the family cat, Doris, was missing.
The Santa Anas
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said power lines were down in places, and he asked residents to conserve power to resist avoid possible blackouts.
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