Fire Surrounds Reagan Library Amid Historic Winds

Wildfires continue to rage in California as Santa Ana winds buffet the state
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 30, 2019 1:57 PM CDT
Fire Surrounds Reagan Library Amid Historic Winds
This photo from video provided by KTLA-TV shows the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library as flames from the Easy fire approach in Simi Valley, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019.   (KTLA-TV via AP)

Wildfires continue to rage in California as historic winds buffet the area, and on Wednesday morning, a fire broke out in Simi Valley and quickly surrounded the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The Easy Fire had exploded to 1,300 acres by 10am and was threatening 6,500 homes, KTLA reports, though the station notes most of the flames closest to the library appeared to have been put out shortly after that time. Those inside the library, which was built to withstand both fires and earthquakes, were sheltering in place, the Los Angeles Times reports. Santa Ana winds were gusting as high as 50mph in the area, with some ridgetop areas nearby reporting gusts as high as 76mph. Freeways and schools in the area were closed, evacuations were ordered, and meanwhile, other fires continued to rage elsewhere in the state.

Per CBS 7, which reports that about a dozen fires are burning across the state: The Getty Fire, which raged on the property of a fireproof Los Angeles museum last week, was at 745 acres and 27% containment as of Wednesday, Northern California's Kincade Fire was at 76,825 acres and 30% containment, more than 400,000 homes across the state were without power, and parts of the state were under a first-ever "extreme red flag warning" due to winds. The Sacramento Bee adds that two other major fires, the Tick Fire in Southern California and the Sky Fire in Northern California, were completely or near-completely contained. In all, California fires have killed three people and destroyed more than 400 homes this year. (More California wildfires stories.)

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