Track blaze near Los Angeles and in Sonoma wine country
Wildfires across California have sparked evacuation advisories for thousands of people as strong winds and dry conditions continue.
The Post Fire erupted Saturday afternoon along Interstate 5 in Gorman, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. By Monday morning powerful wind gusts drove the flames to spread across 15,610 acres of mountainous land.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Fire crews have contained 8% of the blaze, which destroyed one commercial structure, according to Cal Fire. Limited visibility hindered efforts to establish a perimeter on the east side of the blaze.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the I-5 corridor in northwest Los Angeles County because of the dangerous combination of high temperatures, low humidity and wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph forecast through Monday afternoon and possibly into Tuesday.
Meanwhile in northern California’s famed wine country, a blaze named the Point Fire has engulfed more than 1,900 acres across Sonoma County. The wildfire is near Lake Sonoma, about 25 miles northwest of Santa Rosa, and is 20% contained, Cal Fire said.
Evacuations have been ordered for hundreds of residents between the lake and Healdsburg, one of the marquee towns of wine country, while officials set evacuation warnings for thousands.
California fires map
US Wildfire, smoke map
Contributing: Christopher Cann
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California wildfire map: Track Post, Point fires across the state