Erratic winds drive California wildfire out of control, evacuations ordered

Strong winds on Monday drove an out-of-control wildfire through a remote area of eastern California, prompting evacuations for hundreds of homes.

The Silver Fire erupted Sunday afternoon along Route 6 in Inyo County, about 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Bishop in the Owens Valley.

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By Monday morning, it had churned through nearly 2 square miles (5 square km) of dry brush, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. There was no containment.

The potential for 65 mph (104 kph) gusts limited flights by water-dropping helicopters and kept air tankers grounded, Cal Fire spokesperson Chloe Castillo said.

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"The winds are very erratic," she said. “One minute they're pushing north, the next they're going east.”

Evacuations were ordered for about 800 homes near the tiny communities of Laws, Chalfant and White Mountain Estates.

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The blaze was threatening “endangered species habitats, watersheds, and cultural and heritage resources," Cal Fire said in a Monday morning update.

The cause was under investigation.

Inyo County, which borders on Nevada, has received very little recent precipitation and is abnormally dry, with some areas experiencing extreme drought.

Similarly, most of Southern California is in moderate to extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.