Written content by Paul Vercammen and Hollie Silverman for CNN
(CNN)The Bobcat Fire burning in Los Angeles County has scorched more than 100,000 acres as of Sunday night, making it one of the largest fires in the county’s history.
It is one of at least 27 wildfires currently burning in the state, where 26 people have died and 6,100 structures have been destroyed since fire activity picked up in August, the California Department of Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said in a news release on Sunday. Nearly 19,000 firefighters are battling the blazes.
A Joshua Tree burns during the Bobcat Fire in Juniper Hills.Cal Fire urged residents to stay vigilant as “the most devastating wildfires” typically happen in September and October.
The Bobcat Fire had burned 103,135 acres and was 15% contained as of Sunday night, according to an update from the Los Angeles County Fire Department.It is now one of the largest wildfires in Los Angeles County history. The largest, the Station Fire, torched 160,000 acres in 2009.
The cause of the Bobcat Fire, which started on September 6, is still unknown. More than 1,700 fire personnel are battling the blaze.Several flare ups were confirmed by fire agencies in the northeast and southwest quadrants of the fire on Sunday, with wind gusts of up to 30 mph and low humidity creating the possibility of extreme fire behavior through Monday night, the National Weather Service Los Angeles office said.
New evacuations were ordered over the weekend while other evacuations and warnings remain in place for several areas, the Los Angeles County Sheriff said on Twitter.
One of the flare ups was at Chantry Flat, above the foothills east of Los Angeles Sunday.
The Angeles National Forest said on Twitter “crews are en route to 1/4 acre spot at Chantry Flat, 1/4 miles above the construction site at Chantry Road.” Read more from CNN.
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