WeatherFanatics: PHOTOS: Sand Fire smoke creates hazy, orange sky over Los Angeles

Saturday, July 23, 2016

PHOTOS: Sand Fire smoke creates hazy, orange sky over Los Angeles

By Katy Galimberti, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

July 23,2016; 9:18PM,EDT

Smoke created hazy, orange views in Los Angeles on Saturday as the Sand Fire continued to rage less than 40 miles away from the city's downtown.
The fire has burned 20,000 acres since starting on Friday outside of Santa Clarita, California. Firefighters have the blaze 10 percent containment, according to InciWeb.
"The ground is extremely dry in Southern California, which has given the Sand Fire plenty of fuel to feed on," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff.
Relentless heat and localized gusty winds has also contributed to the fire's explosive growth, Duff added.
Officials ordered mandatory evacuations for some residents on Saturday. Flames threatened roughly 1,500 homes and some structures have been destroyed, according to KABC.
Smoke drifted into the Los Angeles area, leading to potentially unsafe air quality. Officials encouraged residents to limit time spent outdoors.
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