New California wildfire erupts day after memorial
Pastor Dale Morgan
Tuesday November 7, 3:53 AM Reuters
*New California wildfire erupts day after memorial*
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A new California wildfire broke out near a
community east of Los Angeles on Monday, one day after some 10,000
people attended a memorial service for firefighters killed fighting a
massive arson fire.
The new fire, fanned by hot Santa Ana winds, erupted at about 7:30 a.m.
(3:30 p.m. British time) near the intersection of two major Southern
California freeways about 60 miles (96 km) east of Los Angeles.
The flames, which quickly charred several hundred acres (hectares),
threatened a neighbourhood of hundreds of homes near the city of Rialto
and burnt a yard where wooden pallets were stored.
Firefighters used aircraft to scoop water from a pond on a golf course
as smoke and ash drifted across a large swath of Southern California,
pushed by winds that prompted authorities to issue a high fire danger
warning.
On Sunday, thousands of firefighters lined roads and some 10,000 people
flocked to an open air theatre for an emotional farewell to the five
firefighters who died trying to save a home during the October fire.
Three of the five, all of whom worked for the U.S. Forest Service, died
instantly and the others died later of massive burns received on the
first day of a five-day blaze that destroyed 34 homes. It also charred
an area nearly three times the size of Manhattan.
Authorities charged a local man on Thursday with arson and five counts
of murder. He could face the death penalty if convicted.