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California Wildfires Thrive On Fierce Wind

Thousands Of People Already Evacuated

As thousands of acres across California continue to be raked by wildfires, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday praised the more than 3,000 personnel fighting to contain the conflagrations.

Wind-Whipped Wildfires

At a news conference, he especially thanked those fighting a San Fernando Valley blaze near downtown Los Angeles that forced 1,800 people from their homes.

The Marek Fire is blamed for one death. It blew up Sunday and has burned about 4,800 acres, but it is now 70 percent contained.

"It looked bad Monday," but overnight "they turned the whole thing around," he said. Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in two Southern California counties.

Strong Santa Ana winds were blowing 50 mph overnight, with the possibility of gusts as strong as 80 mph in some places. But firefighters said the strong winds had just a minimal effect overnight.

Still, residents as far as 20 miles away were being told to get ready in case they have to join the thousands already forced to evacuate.

The winds are blowing erratically just 10 miles away, where a second fire in Porter Ranch is uncontained. That fire doubled in size overnight to nearly 9,900 acres.

A third wildfire started Monday on a Marine base near San Diego. The fire began on an explosives training range at Camp Pendleton, though it's not clear how it started. It had grown to more than 1,500 acres by nightfall and forced the evacuation of 1,400 homes.

"Typically, October is the worst month. We were down there the same time of the fires last year, so it is a pattern and a time they get extremely cautious down there also," Santa Cruz Fire Battalion Chief Mike Venezio told TV station KSBW.

"As fires burn across California, I want to commend all of the firefighters who are bravely battling these aggressive flames and the first responders who are helping their communities and fellow neighbors," Schwarzenegger said. "Winds are causing fire conditions to change by the hour, which is why it is so important that residents in the areas surrounding these wildfires heed warnings from public safety officials to evacuate."

More than a dozen homes have already burned.

Detailed Forecast

Mark Tamayo
Mark Tamayo joined the KTVU Channel 2 News team as the Weekend Meteorologist in August 2008.
Meteorologist Profile

We could soon be tracking more rain on STORMTRACKER 2 RADAR . A stronger storm will produce rain in the North Bay Friday morning. Rainfall, heavy at times, will gradually spread to the south during the afternoon. Winds will also be a factor. Gusts could approach 40 mph.
FRIDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES
Santa Rosa 57
San Rafael 56
San Francisco 56
Oakland 58
Concord 57
Redwood City 59
San Jose 60

We are sticking with the dry weekend forecast. Temperatures will recover nicely later in the period. Check out the 5 DAY FORECAST for more details.

3 - Day Forecast
Fri
Wind and Rain
55
Sat
Wind and Rain
57
Sun
Windy
61
San Francisco
We could soon be tracking more rain on STORMTRACKER 2 RADAR . A stronger storm will produce rain in the North Bay Friday morning. Rainfall, heavy at times, will gradually spread to the south during the afternoon. Winds will also be a factor. Gusts could approach 40 mph.
FRIDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES
Santa Rosa 57
San Rafael 56
San Francisco 56
Oakland 58
Concord 57
Redwood City 59
San Jose 60

We are sticking with the dry weekend forecast. Temperatures will recover nicely later in the period. Check out the 5 DAY FORECAST for more details.