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New Wind-Driven Wildfire Erupts in Southern California

VOA News

   A new large wildfire broke out early Wednesday in Southern California,
   forcing mandatory evacuations at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
   and nearby neighborhoods.
   Ventura County Fire Captain Brian McGrath said the Easy Fire erupted
   shortly after 6 a.m. local time and torched 165 hectares (400 acres) of
   dry brush within two hours.
   The National Weather Service said the wildfire, which erupted in Simi
   Valley about 64 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of downtown Los
   Angeles, ranked among the most dangerous Santa Ana wind events "in
   recent memory."
   Officials did not how many people had been ordered to leave.
   Fire officials said aircraft dropped fire retardant and water on the
   blaze and that the strong Santa Ana winds pushed flames away from the
   library.
   As firefighters in the southern part of the state prepared overnight
   for what forecasters expected to be one of the most significant wind
   events in years, a large wind-driven wildfire in Northern California
   eased.

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