Thousands more evacuated in central California as wildfire spreads

LOS ANGELES. May 9. KAZINFORM Thousands more people were evacuated Friday in a central California area as a destructive wildfire that already destroyed nearly 100 homes spread rapidly, officials said; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

The Jesusita fire in Santa Barbara, about 150 kilometers north of Los Angeles, has destroyed over 1,000 hectares and at least 30,000 people have been under evacuation orders, with new warnings for more to prepare to flee. "If you live in an area adjacent to an evacuation area, we encourage you to get ready to leave now," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown told a news conference Friday morning at the fire command center. At least 75 homes have been destroyed since the fire began Tuesday, and that figure does not include those burned down Friday. The fire was only 10 percent contained as of Friday morning; Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.chinaview.cn for full version