Wildfires erupt as California sees hot, dry weather

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Firefighters were battling a pair of brush fires Wednesday that had burned through more than 11 square miles (28 square kilometers) at Southern California’s Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base amid summer-like heat.

The blaze posed no threats on the base to people or buildings, nor to the surrounding communities, according to the Marine Corps base, north of San Diego, which posted updates on its Twitter accounts.

In Los Angeles, firefighters and water-dropping helicopters stopped a fire that burned about 50 acres (20 hectares) of brush and grass in Sepulveda Pass along Interstate 405.

The fire erupted around 2 a.m. below the hilltop homes of Bel Air but there were no evacuations and no evacuations, the Fire Department said.

Conditions were warm and dry but there was minimal wind.

Two firefighters were treated for minor injuries.

The fire’s cause was under investigation. It occurred in the same area as a 2017 blaze ignited by a cooking fire in a homeless camp.

Firefighters have been chasing small blazes statewide during the spell of hot and very dry weather.

The National Weather Service said a heat advisory would remain in effect through Wednesday evening for much of Southern California. Downtown Los Angeles reached a record 98 degrees Fahrenheit (36.6 Celsius) on Tuesday.