60,000 people are evacuating in California after a wildfire in the region began to rapidly spread Monday.
The Silverado Fire began as a vegetation fire early Monday morning in the city of Irvine, according to CNN.
“The fire started in Silverado Canyon, and helicopters and fixed wing aircraft are on the way,” Mayor Christina Shea said in a press release. “The wind is making it move very quickly.”
Roughly 2,000 acres have already burned in the fire, according to a Cal Fire incident report. The fire has jumped Highway 241, the Orange County Fire Authority said on Twitter. A video of the fire was included in the tweet.
Flames have jumped the 241. #SilveradoFire
Approximately 60,000 people are evacuating the Irvine area. Check your evacuation location here: https://t.co/gAGlMlPUL2 pic.twitter.com/RhVJu7g0us
— OCFA PIO (@OCFA_PIO) October 26, 2020
Windy weather along with dry conditions and low humidity have led to power shutoffs across the state of California, CNN reported. Firefighters are still fighting 22 wildfires across the state in the historic fire season. (RELATED: Wildfires In California Break Record As 4 Million Acres Destroyed)
“While firefighters remain on high alert due to strong winds across much of California, over 4,000 firefighters are on the frontlines of 22 wildfires in California,” Cal Fire said in an update Sunday.
California wildfires have set a new record by destroying more than 4 million acres.
The previous record for the most land destroyed by a wildfire in a single year was less than half of the new record, the Associated Press reported.