A new wildfire in California grew to nearly 9,000 acres (3,700 hectares) on Friday, sending thousands of people fleeing and further stretching resources in a state struggling with a spate of wildfires this season.
The so-called Maria Fire erupted Thursday evening in Ventura County, 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, and burned out of control through the night, driven by high winds and threatening 2,300 structures.
By Friday afternoon, the wind-fueled blaze that risked consuming citrus and avocado orchards as well as other crops was zero percent contained. Authorities said 8,000 people were under evacuation orders and at least two structures had been burned.
Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said fire crews had been thwarted by people flying drones in the area.
“Last night and early morning we had individuals flying small drones in the area of the flight operations for the fire suppression,” he told a media briefing. “This creates a very significant hazard for our airborne fire fighting assets and causes them to land and stop firefighting efforts as long as that aircraft is in the area.”
Up in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, there was some good news as authorities reported that the Kincade Fire, the largest in the state this season, was 68 percent contained.
