New Southern California fires force evacuations

(30 Oct 2019) Wildfires whipped by powerful winds outside Los Angeles threatened thousands of homes and horse ranches Wednesday, forced the evacuation of elderly patients in wheelchairs and narrowly bypassed the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which benefited from a buffer zone chewed by goats. About 7,000 homes are under evacuation orders as a wind-driven wildfire burns northwest of Los Angeles. Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub says about 26,000 people are affected by the orders, most of which are mandatory. The fire erupted just after 6 a.m. Wednesday near the hilltop Ronald Reagan Presidential Library near the communities of Simi Valley and Moorpark. County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen says it was "about the worst time it could happen" because of strong winds and "fuels that were ripe and ready to carry fire." The fire has moved rapidly between suburban tracts on sparsely developed lands that include small horse ranches and some agriculture. Lorenzen says some outbuildings have been destroyed and there is a report a possible home burning. Incident Commander Chad Cook says firefighters made a successful stand protecting the Reagan Library, but he cautions that the entire burned area is still considered to be a threat. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...