Tens of thousands of people were under evacuation warnings or orders in an area east of Los Angeles early Wednesday, as two wildfires spread under gusty winds and dry conditions, the authorities said.
Four people were injured and about 7,200 others were forced to evacuate on Tuesday to avoid the larger of the two blazes in Riverside County, according to Capt. John Clingingsmith Jr., a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Riverside.
Firefighters were still investigating the cause of the fires, known as the Bain fire and the Verona fire, Capt. Clingingsmith said on Tuesday night. More than 39,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings as a result of the larger Bain fire, he added.
The Bain fire was burning primarily south of the Santa Ana River near the cities of Jurupa Valley and Riverside. It was first reported on Tuesday morning and had grown to 1,375 acres by the evening, according to Cal Fire. About 100 firefighters were battling the blaze, which was 10 percent contained.
Dried bamboo along the river helped fuel the fire, and mild winds of 10 miles per hour pushed it toward eucalyptus groves, Capt. Clingingsmith said. Four civilians were transported to hospitals, including one with a trauma injury and three with smoke inhalation injuries, he said, adding that the nature of the trauma injury was unclear.
The Verona fire, about 40 miles southeast of the city of Riverside, also started on Tuesday and later grew to 439 acres, prompting evacuation orders in Hemet and Menifee. It was still spreading on Tuesday night, Capt. Clingingsmith said.
On Monday, the Sandy fire broke out in Simi Valley, about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and 43,000 people were ordered to evacuate, authorities said.
More than 800 firefighters were working to contain the fire, which had spread to 1,689 acres by Tuesday evening and was 5 percent contained, the Ventura County Fire Department said Tuesday evening in a social media post.
Francesca Regalado is a Times reporter covering breaking news.
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