9 killed, over 150,000 evacuated in California wildfires

GB news 24 desk//

At least nine people have been killed and more than 150,000 evacuated as two big wildfires rage in California, officials say.

West of Los Angeles, the Woolsey Fire jumped a major highway and headed into coastal areas, including the town of Malibu where some homes are ablaze, according to BBC report.

The death toll includes five people who were found in cars in a town that was destroyed by the Camp Fire. Both fires are moving fast, fanned by strong winds.

The blaze spread rapidly overnight and jumped Highway 101, a major route west of Los Angeles. At midday on Friday local time (20:00 GMT), it covered about 14,000 acres (5,665 hectares).

The fire broke out near Thousand Oaks, an area about 40 miles (64km) north-west of central Los Angeles where an attacker killed 12 people on Wednesday, prompting the evacuation of 75,000 homes.

Thousands more residents have now been ordered to evacuate from several more towns to the west of Thousand Oaks, including Calabasas immediately south of Highway 101 and Malibu on the coast, as well as from the western edge of Los Angeles.