A ‘particularly dangerous situation’ develops as wildfires rage in the West

(CNN) – Hannah Hoobyar and her family lost their house to a raging Nevada wildfire that experts say could get much worse on Wednesday.

“We left with just the humans, the animals and the clothes on our backs,” Hoobyar, 26, said, describing dodging “giant chunks of ash” as they fled their northern Nevada home.

More families could be in harm’s way where officials are warning that a “particularly dangerous situation” could play out in the Davis Fire in Nevada, as multiple wildfires continue to rage across the West, forcing evacuations and burning down homes.

There are 67 active wildfires are burning across the US, including nine in California and two in Nevada, according to the National Interagency Fire Center .

In Southern California, three people, including an off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s sergeant, were rescued after being stuck in a remote area about five miles west of Mount Baldy, unable to access the road because of the fire conditions, Sheriff Robert Luna said.

A sheriff’s helicopter was able to rescue the trio, who were trapped “after trying to save a cabin from the blaze,” the department’s San Dimas Mountain Rescue team said in an Instagram post . “While the cabin was lost, the skill and determination of the crew, combined with a brief break in the smoke, ensured a flawless rescue,” the post detailed.

Back in Nevada, a red flag warning is in effect Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the Sierra Front, Western Nevada and Eastern Sierra, the National Weather Service in Reno said on X.

“This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. Gusty winds & dry conditions will lead to very rapid fire growth,” the National Weather Service in Reno wrote, making a rare danger designation for the organization.

The Davis Fire has burned over 5,500 acres, or nearly nine square miles, in Washoe County, where officials are urging residents to prepare for evacuation orders.

Washoe County warned the Davis Fire is expected to “move significantly” Wednesday. “If you receive the notice to evacuate, don’t wait. The best scenario is that the fire models are wrong, but we want to be prepared,” the county said on X.

“We are expecting extreme weather conditions – something we haven’t seen in years. We are going to see dramatic growth in this fire,” Reno Fire Department Chief Dave Cochran told CNN affiliate KRNV.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency due to the Davis Fire earlier this week.

High winds and dry conditions can lead to rapid escalation of wildfires, which can have devastating consequences on surrounding communities.

Hoobyar saw a large plume of smoke outside her window Saturday and warned her family that they needed to leave. Moments later, officials were on a loudspeaker telling residents to evacuate immediately.

Leaving everything behind, Hoobyar and her family only made sure they had each other as they fled the wildfire with few belongings.

“Though it is very, very little, it is honestly the most important things.”

The family ended up at a local hotel for the night, unsure of what happened to their home until they came across a social media post around 1 a.m.

“Our lives got turned upside down in that hotel room,” Hoobyar said.

A video compilation shared online showed scenes of the Davis Fire, including Hoobyar’s home engulfed in flames.

“It took me a second to realize what I was watching but the first five seconds of the video was my house on fire with the flames coming out of the windows, the roof, everything.”

Hoobyar learned that it took less than 90 minutes for their home to burn down.

The Hoobyar family returned to their home Tuesday evening to find nothing but piles of brick and ash.

“We lost everything,” she said.

Hoobyar, who founded a disaster relief nonprofit at the age of 15, is grateful her community has now rallied to support her. A GoFundMe was created to help the family get some basic necessities, and it’s already raised over $39,000 as of Wednesday morning.

Wildfires rage in California

Flames exploded overnight in Southern California, where at least three large wildfires, the Bridge, Line and Airport fires, have forced evacuations and strained local resources.

The scale and intensity of the California fires is “truly remarkable,” climate scientist Dr. Daniel Swain said.

The Bridge Fire, “in particular, has now become yet another in a long list of recent examples of California wildfires doing seemingly “impossible” things. It has now run clear across San Gabriel Mountains in a single day,” Swain said Tuesday night on X .

Evacuation orders were issued in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, where the Bridge Fire has burned more than 48,000 acres, or roughly 75 square miles, and has destroyed nearly 40 structures. It is currently the largest active fire in the state of California, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.

“There has been substantial wildfire growth overnight, with impacts to the communities of Mount Baldy and Wrightwood,” Marrone said Wednesday.

Fire crews battling the blaze on the ground and in the air are facing steep and inaccessible terrain, as well as poor visibility due to smoke, officials said.

Before that, intense heat challenged firefighters. While cooler temperatures are on the way, officials said the threat of fire growth still exists.

“We’re not out of the woods, we still have the potential for large fire growth today on the Bridge Fire and a potential for new starts,” Marrone said. “It’s very weather dependent. It’s also topography dependent.”

The Airport Fire , burning in Orange and Riverside counties, has led to evacuation orders for residents in its path.

A 34-year-old man, Justin Wayne Halstenberg, was arrested Tuesday on arson charges in connection to the ongoing Line Fire , which has burned more than 34,000 acres, or about 53 square miles, in San Bernardino County.

He is facing three arson charges, according to the sheriff’s department and jail records, including arson of structures or forest land, which is punishable by up to six years in California. Halstenberg is being held on $80,000 bond, the sheriff’s department said. It’s unclear whether he’s retained an attorney.

CalFire warned that smoke from the wildfires is negatively impacting air quality for much of the region, advising residents to stay indoors if possible and wear a mask outside.

The state of California secured a FEMA grant to support fire suppression efforts in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said overnight.

Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency due to the fire in San Bernadino County earlier this week, and the California National Guard is deploying multiple resources to assist with wildfire response, including Blackhawk helicopters, 80 soldiers and a police company.

CNN’s Chris Boyette, Cindy Von Quednow, Melissa Alonso and Taylor Romine contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire

™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.