Authorities order 100,000 to evacuate in California wildfire

LOS ANGELES -- About 100,000 people in over 20,000 homes were ordered to evacuate on Friday after a wildfire raged out of control along the northern edge of Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said Friday afternoon the Saddleridge Fire had grown to more than 7,500 acres and was 13 percent contained.

At least 25 homes had been damaged, Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said. A middle-aged man who was near the fire went into cardiac arrest and died, the chief said.

The fire erupted around 9 p.m. (0400 GMT) Thursday along the northern tier of the San Fernando Valley as powerful Santa Ana winds swept through Southern California.

The fast-moving blaze jumped two freeways and caused closure of several roads.

Classes were canceled at about 40 schools in the Los Angeles area after poor air quality was reported, officials said.

A number of colleges closed Friday because of the fire, including California State University, Northridge and Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar.

One rescue crew member told Xinhua that he just came back from the Briceburg Fire near Yosemite National Park, which grew by a few hundred acres Friday.

"It is difficult to say how long it will take us to contain the Saddleridge Fire," he said.

The Saddleridge fire is just one of the several blazes in Southern California.

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared state of emergency in Los Angeles and Riverside Counties on Friday due to the effects of several fires, including the Saddleridge, Eagle, Sandalwood, Reche, and Wolf fires.

Earlier on Friday, Newsom said that the state has secured a fire management assistance grant from the federal emergency management agency to fight the Saddleridge Fire.

The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles said late Friday it has not received reports of injuries or deaths of Chinese citizens in the fires.

The Consulate General called on Chinese citizens to closely follow the development of the fires, avoid heading to control areas and increase awareness.