Evacuations Are Underway As The ‘Lilac Fire’ Scorches Through Thousands Of Acres

A California brushfire, dubbed the “Lilac Fire” by officials, has scorched through thousands of acres as the state continues to battle multiple intense blazes.

KPBS reports that the Lilac Fire was ignited Thursday morning off of Interstate 15 and State Route 76 in the Bonsall-Fallbrook area with over 2,000 acres burned and two reported injuries. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for a number of impacted areas and the county of San Diego issued a local state of emergency to acquire access to resources.

“It looked very eerie, very dark and overcast,” said local resident Jerry Vasquez of the scene playing out in the region. “It’s almost like driving into Hell.”

San Diego Gas & Electric spokeswoman Helen Gao cautions that customers experiencing outages could be without power for an extended period and recommends taking measures as a result.

“We expect that they will be out for several days so we’re asking that they be prepared with flashlights, batteries, and a radio so they can stay informed,” Gao said.

The forecast from the National Weather Service office for San Diego sees the area impacted by the Lilac Fire continuing to receive blowing winds (with speeds lessening) and extremely dry air sticking around.

According to the most recent report from Reuters, 200,000 people have been evacuated due to California wildfires with hundreds of homes destroyed and containment still aiming to be achieved in unfavorable conditions.

(Via KPBS, NBC News San Diego & Reuters)