World News | Wildfire Burns Homes in Southern California Desert Town
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. A wind-driven wildfire destroyed homes and forced evacuations as it tore through a rural Southern California desert town near the Salton Sea, authorities said Monday.
Niland (California), Jun 30 (AP) A wind-driven wildfire destroyed homes and forced evacuations as it tore through a rural Southern California desert town near the Salton Sea, authorities said Monday.
The fire erupted Sunday evening in Niland, a small and poor agricultural community about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from San Diego.
Damage was still being assessed but the current estimate was 20 homes destroyed and about 130 people displaced, said Linsey Dale, a spokeswoman for Imperial County.
The American Red Cross Southern California Southern California Region said it was working to provide shelter.
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“It's very devastating in that area right now," Dale said.
Niland, population about 1,000, is located at the north end of an agricultural region that stretches south to the U.S.-Mexico border.
The fire was pushed by strong winds, forcing evacuation of the entire township. Every local fire truck and firefighting team responded and firefighting help also came from elsewhere.
The fire is the latest blow to California's Imperial County, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 500 patients have been moved to hospitals in other counties over the past five weeks to relieve strain on the county's healthcare system. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)