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As firefighters continue to battle the explosive Lake Fire burning north of Los Angeles, a second wildfire has erupted — threatening to destroy even more homes.
The latest fire, which has been dubbed the Ranch 2 Fire, flared up Thursday afternoon. As of Thursday night, it had burned about 3,000 acres so far, with 0 percent containment.
Evacuation orders were issued for the Mountain Cove community in Azusa, a suburb of Los Angeles.
Both the Lake Fire and the Ranch 2 Fire are burning in the Angeles National Forest, though in separate sections. They are about an hour apart from each other.
The Lake Fire has already destroyed many buildings, and threatens to torch more than 5,000 more structures. About 100 homes were under evacuation orders.
However, these aren’t the only wildfires burning right now. In fact, wildfires in Oregon and Colorado have also prompted evacuations.
As these fires continue to burn in three Western states, they have destroyed more than 90,000 acres so far.
The Mosier Creek Fire in Oregon is burning near the community of Mosier in the Columbia River Gorge. It’s about 70 miles east of Portland.
It has burned nearly 1,000 acres, destroying at least one home while threatening more. It was 10 percent contained, according to an update Friday morning.
Over in Colorado, the Grizzly Creek Fire is raging near Glenwood Springs. Parts of Interstate 70 have beens hut down for several days, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Many homes in the area have been evacuated, as well.
Colorado is also dealing with the Cameron Peak Fire, which has burned about 1,500 acres, and is at 0 percent containment.
Then, there’s the Pine Gulch Fire, which has become the 4th largest individual fire in Colorado’s history.
Lightning reportedly started the blaze on July 31.
So far, the Pine Gulch Fire has grown to 73,381 acres, and is burning about 18 miles north of Grand Junction in Mesa and Garfield Counties. It’s currently only 7 percent contained, with nearly 800 people fighting the blaze.
Officials say that it is burning in remote, rough terrain.
“Critically dry fuels, severe drought conditions, critical fire weather creating extreme fire behavior are creating a high resistance to control,” officials said in a statement.
Those hot, dry conditions have been fueling the wildfires burning in these Western states.
Fire season has been intense this year across the West, as the region is seeing dry, hot temperatures that are above average in some areas this time of year.
The forecast through the weekend remains hot and dry, with temperatures in the upper 90s to lower 100s.
