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Southern California wildfires explode, forcing more than 60,000 to evacuate
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Southern California wildfires explode, forcing more than 60,000 to evacuate

Two wildfires are raging out of control in Orange County. At least two firefighters have been hospitalized with severe burns.

Local

Two wind-driven wildfires are raging in Southern California on Monday, forcing tens of thousands of mandatory evacuations in Orange County, some 42 miles south of Los Angeles. Hundreds of firefighters are battling the Silverado Fire near Irvine and the Blue Ridge Fire near Yorba Linda as powerful Santa Ana winds continue.

The Silverado Fire has scorched more than 7,200 acres as of Monday night, officials tweeted. Both wildfires have zero containment.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for about 60,000 residents in the Orchard Hills neighborhood, the Orange County Fire Authority reported. Officials said some 500 personnel are battling the Silverado Fire, and they said two crew members, ages 26 and 31, were critically injured with second- and third-degree burns. Both of them are on ventilators, officials said.