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Wildfires burn out of control in Southern California and more evacuations ordered

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Wildfires burn out of control in Southern California and more evacuations ordered
News

News

Wildfires burn out of control in Southern California and more evacuations ordered

2024-09-11 13:02 Last Updated At:13:12

TRABUCO CANYON, Calif. (AP) — Apocalyptic-looking plumes of smoke filled skies east of Los Angeles on Tuesday as firefighters battled three major wildfires that erupted amid a blistering heat wave and threatened tens of thousands of homes and other structures.

Evacuation orders were expanded Tuesday night as the fires grew and included parts of the popular ski town of Big Bear and the entire community of Wrightwood, with about 4,500 residents. Authorities implored people to leave their homes.

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A person moves horses into a trailer as the Airport Fire closes in Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

TRABUCO CANYON, Calif. (AP) — Apocalyptic-looking plumes of smoke filled skies east of Los Angeles on Tuesday as firefighters battled three major wildfires that erupted amid a blistering heat wave and threatened tens of thousands of homes and other structures.

The Airport Fire surround a city limits sign Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

The Airport Fire surround a city limits sign Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A fire engine is driven past a fire-engulfed structure as crews battle the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A fire engine is driven past a fire-engulfed structure as crews battle the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A firefighter battles the Airport Fire, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A firefighter battles the Airport Fire, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A firefighter hoses down a vehicle after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter hoses down a vehicle after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter sprays a hose to a smoldering property while battling the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter sprays a hose to a smoldering property while battling the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Charred vehicles sit on a property after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Charred vehicles sit on a property after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Mailboxes are still standing after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Mailboxes are still standing after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A structure burns after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A structure burns after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A destroyed car sits as structures burn after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A destroyed car sits as structures burn after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A vehicle burns from the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A vehicle burns from the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns a car and structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns a car and structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns over a structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns over a structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire from a ridge near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire from a ridge near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

A helicopter is silhouetted by smoke from the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A helicopter is silhouetted by smoke from the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire engulfs a structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire engulfs a structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Crews monitor the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Crews monitor the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire crests over a mailbox Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire crests over a mailbox Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Emergency personnel line up along a road as the Airport Fire advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Emergency personnel line up along a road as the Airport Fire advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter crosses a road as the Airport Fire advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter crosses a road as the Airport Fire advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter watches smoke from the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter watches smoke from the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the air Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the air Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the air Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the air Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the airs over over Highway 74 Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, near Lake Elsinore, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the airs over over Highway 74 Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, near Lake Elsinore, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plum of smoke created by the Airport Fire rises over a group playing soccer Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in a view from Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

A plum of smoke created by the Airport Fire rises over a group playing soccer Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in a view from Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

A plume of smoke created by the Airport Fire is seen on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Temescal Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plume of smoke created by the Airport Fire is seen on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Temescal Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plume of smoke created by the Airport Fire is seen on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Temescal Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plume of smoke created by the Airport Fire is seen on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Temescal Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plume of smoke created by the Airport Fire rises over motorists along I-15 Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cerrito, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plume of smoke created by the Airport Fire rises over motorists along I-15 Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cerrito, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire crests over a structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire crests over a structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the air Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the air Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Ken Motonishi walks his dogs as the Airport Fire burns near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

Ken Motonishi walks his dogs as the Airport Fire burns near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

Smoke rises from the Airport Fire as Cizar Moon works out at the driving range at Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Smoke rises from the Airport Fire as Cizar Moon works out at the driving range at Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

An airplane drops fire retardant on the Airport Fire near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

An airplane drops fire retardant on the Airport Fire near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

A plum of smoke created by the Airport Fire rises over a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in a view from Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

A plum of smoke created by the Airport Fire rises over a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in a view from Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

Firefighters monitor the advancing Line Fire in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the advancing Line Fire in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire billows over a mountain as the sun sets Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Smoke from the Airport Fire billows over a mountain as the sun sets Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

People watch from a hilltop under a layer of smoke from the Airport Fire as the sun sets, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

People watch from a hilltop under a layer of smoke from the Airport Fire as the sun sets, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

An Orange County Sheriff's officer escorts a man on a scooter out of a closed area as the Airport Fire burns, behind, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

An Orange County Sheriff's officer escorts a man on a scooter out of a closed area as the Airport Fire burns, behind, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Firefighting hand crews cut lines against the advancing Line Fire in Running Springs, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighting hand crews cut lines against the advancing Line Fire in Running Springs, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A man watches flames from the Airport Fire as it envelops a hill behind homes Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

A man watches flames from the Airport Fire as it envelops a hill behind homes Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Smoke from the advancing Line Fire rises above a ridge in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the advancing Line Fire rises above a ridge in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters work against the advancing Line Fire in Running Springs, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters work against the advancing Line Fire in Running Springs, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the advancing Line Fire in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the advancing Line Fire in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighter Gus Laws extinguishes flames on a home as the Boyles fire burns in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Gus Laws extinguishes flames on a home as the Boyles fire burns in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters battle the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters battle the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Nolan Graham sprays water around a scorched garage as the Boyles fire burns in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Nolan Graham sprays water around a scorched garage as the Boyles fire burns in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Gaudencio Ortiz douses water on a destroyed structure adjacent to his friend's home during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Gaudencio Ortiz douses water on a destroyed structure adjacent to his friend's home during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A Cal Fire Sikorsky S70i Firehawk helicopter performs a water drop on a hot spot during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A Cal Fire Sikorsky S70i Firehawk helicopter performs a water drop on a hot spot during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A contract firefighter from Colorado Springs, Colo., douses water on a damaged structure during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A contract firefighter from Colorado Springs, Colo., douses water on a damaged structure during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

An airplane drops retardant on the Airport Fire in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

An airplane drops retardant on the Airport Fire in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Firefighter Nolan Graham sprays water on a garage scorched by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Nolan Graham sprays water on a garage scorched by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Jonathan Lievanos extinguishes hot spots at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Jonathan Lievanos extinguishes hot spots at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter passes a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter passes a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Jonathan Lievanos extinguishes hot spots at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Jonathan Lievanos extinguishes hot spots at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residents watch as firefighters mop up at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residents watch as firefighters mop up at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A plume of smoke from the Line Fire is seen Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, outside of Forest Falls, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plume of smoke from the Line Fire is seen Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, outside of Forest Falls, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Members of the Mill Creek Hotshots monitor the Line Fire Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Angelus Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Members of the Mill Creek Hotshots monitor the Line Fire Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Angelus Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

The Line Fire burns in the mountains Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Forest Falls, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Line Fire burns in the mountains Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Forest Falls, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters stage under a plume of smoke set by the Line Fire, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Angelus Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters stage under a plume of smoke set by the Line Fire, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Angelus Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters battle the Airport Fire along Trabuco Creek Road in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Firefighters battle the Airport Fire along Trabuco Creek Road in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Smoke from the Airport Fire rises behind Meander Lane in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Smoke from the Airport Fire rises behind Meander Lane in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Aidan Thomas wears a Smokey Bear t-shirt as he watches smoke from the Airport Fire rise behind Meander Lane in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Aidan Thomas wears a Smokey Bear t-shirt as he watches smoke from the Airport Fire rise behind Meander Lane in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

"There is no property that is worth risking your life for," Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

In recent years wildfires have regularly burned in and around Wrightwood, a picturesque mountain town 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Los Angeles known for its 1930s cabins. Authorities expressed frustration in 2016 when only half the residents heeded orders to leave.

Janice Quick, the president of the Wrightwood Chamber of Commerce, said a friend texted to tell her that the friend's home had been consumed by fire, while another friend was watching through her ring camera as embers rained down on her home.

Quick said in the late afternoon she was eating lunch outside with friends and they were rained on by embers the size of her thumbnail that hit the table and made a clinking sound.

“I’ve never seen anything like this and I’ve been through fires before,” said Quick, who has lived in Wrightwood for 45 years.

In neighboring Orange County, firefighters used bulldozers, helicopters and planes to control a rapidly spreading blaze called the Airport Fire that started Monday and spread to about 3 square miles (8 square kilometers) in only a few hours. The blaze was ignited by a spark from heavy equipment being used by public workers, officials said.

By Tuesday night, it had charred more than 30 square miles (78 square kilometers) and was heading over mountainous terrain into neighboring Riverside County with no containment, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi. It burned some communications towers on top of a peak, though so far officials said they did not have reports of the damage disrupting police or fire communication signals in the area.

Concialdi said the fire was burning away from homes in Orange County, but there are 36 recreational cabins in the area. He said authorities don’t yet know if the cabins were damaged or destroyed by the blaze.

Two firefighters who suffered heat-related injuries and a resident who suffered from smoke inhalation were treated at a hospital and released.

Sherri Fankhauser, her husband and her daughter set up lawn chairs and were watching helicopters make water drops on a flaming hillside a few hundred yards away from their Trabuco Canyon home on Tuesday.

They didn’t evacuate even though their street had been under a mandatory evacuation order since Monday. A neighbor did help Fankhauser's 89-year-old mother-in-law evacuate, Fankhauser said. The flames died down last night but flared up again in the morning.

“You can see fire coming over the ridge now,” Fankhauser said Tuesday afternoon. “It's getting a little scarier now."

She said she trusted the crews would get things under control and that firefighters were keeping them informed.

Meanwhile, in the San Bernardino National Forest, some 65,600 homes and buildings were under threat by the Line Fire, including those under mandatory evacuations and those under evacuation warnings, nearly double the number from the previous day.

Residents along the southern edge of Big Bear Lake were told to leave the area Tuesday night, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. It's unclear how many people were affected in the area, which is a popular destination for anglers, bikers and hikers.

The blaze had charred more than 51 square miles (132 square kilometers) of grass and brush and blanketed the area with a thick cloud of dark smoke . The acrid air prompted several districts in the area to close schools through the end of the week because of safety concerns. Three firefighters have been injured since the blaze was reported Thursday, state fire managers said.

In Northern California, a fire measuring less than a square mile (2.6 square kilometers) that started Sunday burned at least 30 homes and commercial buildings and destroyed 40 to 50 vehicles in Clearlake City, 110 miles (117 kilometers) north of San Francisco, officials said. Roughly 4,000 people were forced to evacuate by the so-called Boyles Fire, which was about 50% contained Tuesday night.

Other major fires were burning across the West, including in Idaho, Oregon and Nevada, where about 20,000 people had to flee a blaze outside Reno. The uncontained Davis Fire burned at least one home and threatened dozens more. It originated in the Davis Creek Regional Park in the Washoe Valley and was spreading through heavy timber and brush, firefighters said.

An emergency declaration issued for Washoe County by Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo on Sunday said about 20,000 people were evacuated from neighborhoods, businesses, parks and campgrounds.

More than 600 firefighters in the area held their own Tuesday but were bracing for worsening weather conditions Wednesday, which could see dangerously strong winds and dry conditions. The National Weather Service in Reno said it was the first time in five years and only the sixth time in history that they’ve labeled the threat as a “particularly dangerous situation.”

All off-duty firefighters in the Reno area have been ordered back to work Wednesday.

“I’ve never done that in the 12 years I’ve been chief,” Truckee Meadows Fire Chief Charles Moore said Tuesday.

Rodríguez reported from San Francisco.

A person moves horses into a trailer as the Airport Fire closes in Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A person moves horses into a trailer as the Airport Fire closes in Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

The Airport Fire surround a city limits sign Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

The Airport Fire surround a city limits sign Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A fire engine is driven past a fire-engulfed structure as crews battle the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A fire engine is driven past a fire-engulfed structure as crews battle the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A firefighter battles the Airport Fire, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A firefighter battles the Airport Fire, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A firefighter hoses down a vehicle after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter hoses down a vehicle after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter sprays a hose to a smoldering property while battling the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter sprays a hose to a smoldering property while battling the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Charred vehicles sit on a property after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Charred vehicles sit on a property after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Mailboxes are still standing after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Mailboxes are still standing after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A structure burns after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A structure burns after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A destroyed car sits as structures burn after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A destroyed car sits as structures burn after the Airport Fire swept through Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A vehicle burns from the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A vehicle burns from the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns a car and structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns a car and structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns over a structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns over a structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire from a ridge near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire from a ridge near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

A helicopter is silhouetted by smoke from the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A helicopter is silhouetted by smoke from the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire engulfs a structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire engulfs a structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Crews monitor the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Crews monitor the Airport Fire Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire crests over a mailbox Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire crests over a mailbox Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Emergency personnel line up along a road as the Airport Fire advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Emergency personnel line up along a road as the Airport Fire advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter crosses a road as the Airport Fire advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter crosses a road as the Airport Fire advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter watches smoke from the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter watches smoke from the Airport Fire as it advances Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the air Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the air Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the air Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the air Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the airs over over Highway 74 Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, near Lake Elsinore, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the airs over over Highway 74 Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, near Lake Elsinore, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plum of smoke created by the Airport Fire rises over a group playing soccer Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in a view from Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

A plum of smoke created by the Airport Fire rises over a group playing soccer Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in a view from Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

A plume of smoke created by the Airport Fire is seen on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Temescal Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plume of smoke created by the Airport Fire is seen on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Temescal Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plume of smoke created by the Airport Fire is seen on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Temescal Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plume of smoke created by the Airport Fire is seen on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Temescal Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plume of smoke created by the Airport Fire rises over motorists along I-15 Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cerrito, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plume of smoke created by the Airport Fire rises over motorists along I-15 Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cerrito, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire burns on a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire crests over a structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Airport Fire crests over a structure Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, an unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the air Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire fills the air Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in El Cariso, unincorporated community in Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Ken Motonishi walks his dogs as the Airport Fire burns near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

Ken Motonishi walks his dogs as the Airport Fire burns near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

Smoke rises from the Airport Fire as Cizar Moon works out at the driving range at Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Smoke rises from the Airport Fire as Cizar Moon works out at the driving range at Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

An airplane drops fire retardant on the Airport Fire near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

An airplane drops fire retardant on the Airport Fire near Porter Ranch in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

A plum of smoke created by the Airport Fire rises over a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in a view from Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

A plum of smoke created by the Airport Fire rises over a mountain top Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in a view from Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

Firefighters monitor the advancing Line Fire in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the advancing Line Fire in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the Airport Fire billows over a mountain as the sun sets Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Smoke from the Airport Fire billows over a mountain as the sun sets Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

People watch from a hilltop under a layer of smoke from the Airport Fire as the sun sets, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

People watch from a hilltop under a layer of smoke from the Airport Fire as the sun sets, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

An Orange County Sheriff's officer escorts a man on a scooter out of a closed area as the Airport Fire burns, behind, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

An Orange County Sheriff's officer escorts a man on a scooter out of a closed area as the Airport Fire burns, behind, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Firefighting hand crews cut lines against the advancing Line Fire in Running Springs, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighting hand crews cut lines against the advancing Line Fire in Running Springs, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A man watches flames from the Airport Fire as it envelops a hill behind homes Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

A man watches flames from the Airport Fire as it envelops a hill behind homes Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Smoke from the advancing Line Fire rises above a ridge in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Smoke from the advancing Line Fire rises above a ridge in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters work against the advancing Line Fire in Running Springs, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters work against the advancing Line Fire in Running Springs, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the advancing Line Fire in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters monitor the advancing Line Fire in Angelus Oaks, Calif., Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighter Gus Laws extinguishes flames on a home as the Boyles fire burns in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Gus Laws extinguishes flames on a home as the Boyles fire burns in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters battle the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters battle the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Nolan Graham sprays water around a scorched garage as the Boyles fire burns in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Nolan Graham sprays water around a scorched garage as the Boyles fire burns in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Gaudencio Ortiz douses water on a destroyed structure adjacent to his friend's home during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Gaudencio Ortiz douses water on a destroyed structure adjacent to his friend's home during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A Cal Fire Sikorsky S70i Firehawk helicopter performs a water drop on a hot spot during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A Cal Fire Sikorsky S70i Firehawk helicopter performs a water drop on a hot spot during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A contract firefighter from Colorado Springs, Colo., douses water on a damaged structure during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A contract firefighter from Colorado Springs, Colo., douses water on a damaged structure during the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

An airplane drops retardant on the Airport Fire in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

An airplane drops retardant on the Airport Fire in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Firefighter Nolan Graham sprays water on a garage scorched by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Nolan Graham sprays water on a garage scorched by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Jonathan Lievanos extinguishes hot spots at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Jonathan Lievanos extinguishes hot spots at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter passes a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter passes a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Jonathan Lievanos extinguishes hot spots at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Jonathan Lievanos extinguishes hot spots at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residents watch as firefighters mop up at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residents watch as firefighters mop up at a home destroyed by the Boyles fire in Clearlake, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A plume of smoke from the Line Fire is seen Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, outside of Forest Falls, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A plume of smoke from the Line Fire is seen Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, outside of Forest Falls, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Members of the Mill Creek Hotshots monitor the Line Fire Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Angelus Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Members of the Mill Creek Hotshots monitor the Line Fire Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Angelus Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

The Line Fire burns in the mountains Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Forest Falls, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Line Fire burns in the mountains Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Forest Falls, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters stage under a plume of smoke set by the Line Fire, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Angelus Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters stage under a plume of smoke set by the Line Fire, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, near Angelus Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters battle the Airport Fire along Trabuco Creek Road in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Firefighters battle the Airport Fire along Trabuco Creek Road in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Smoke from the Airport Fire rises behind Meander Lane in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Smoke from the Airport Fire rises behind Meander Lane in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Aidan Thomas wears a Smokey Bear t-shirt as he watches smoke from the Airport Fire rise behind Meander Lane in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Aidan Thomas wears a Smokey Bear t-shirt as he watches smoke from the Airport Fire rise behind Meander Lane in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

GENEVA (AP) — Independent U.N. human rights experts said in a new report Tuesday that their findings show Venezuela's government has intensified the use of “harshest and most violent" tools of repression following the disputed July presidential election.

The official results of the July 28 vote have been widely criticized as undemocratic, opaque and aimed to maintain President Nicolás Maduro in power.

In its report, the fact-finding mission on Venezuela, commissioned by the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council, denounced rights violations including arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence by the country's security forces that “taken as a whole, constitute the crime against humanity of persecution on political grounds.”

“During the period covered by this report, and especially after the presidential election of July 28, 2024, the state reactivated and intensified the harshest and most violent mechanisms of its repressive apparatus,” said the experts in the report, which covered a one-year period through Aug. 31.

The findings echo concerns from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Human Rights Watch, and others about Venezuela and its democracy, including repression before and after the highly anticipated vote and the subsequent flight into exile of Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo González.

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, said he won with 52% of the vote. But opposition supporters collected tally sheets from 80% of the nation's electronic voting machines, and said that indicated González had won the election — with twice as many votes as Maduro.

Global condemnation over the lack of transparency prompted Maduro to ask Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice, whose members are aligned with the ruling party, to audit the results. The high court reaffirmed his victory.

The independent experts, who do not represent the United Nations, decried the government's efforts to crush peaceful opposition to its rule.

The justice system — led by the Supreme Tribunal — “is clearly subordinated” to the interests of Maduro and his close allies and served as a “key instrument in its plan to repress all forms of political and social opposition,” they wrote.

In the hours after Maduro was declared the winner, thousands of people took to the streets across Venezuela. The protests were largely peaceful, but demonstrators also toppled statues of Maduro’s predecessor, the late Hugo Chávez, threw rocks at law enforcement officers and buildings, and burned police motorcycles and government propaganda.

Maduro's government responded to the demonstrations with full force, carrying out arbitrary detentions, prosecutions as well as a campaign that encourages people to report relatives, neighbors and other acquaintances who participated in the protests or cast doubt on the results.

The independent experts said they compiled the report through interviews with 383 people and reviews of court case files and other documents while also acknowledging limits to their information-gathering in the post-election period.

The experts said their requests for information from Venezuelan authorities were “ignored” despite appeals for cooperation from the rights council, which is made up of a rotating membership among 47 U.N. member countries.

Associated Press writers Regina Garcia Cano in Mexico City and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro addresses government loyalists gathered at the presidential palace in support of his reelection one month after the presidential vote, in Caracas, Venezuela, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro addresses government loyalists gathered at the presidential palace in support of his reelection one month after the presidential vote, in Caracas, Venezuela, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

FILE - Protesters clash with police during demonstrations against the official election results declaring President Nicolas Maduro's reelection, the day after the vote in Caracas, Venezuela, July 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)

FILE - Protesters clash with police during demonstrations against the official election results declaring President Nicolas Maduro's reelection, the day after the vote in Caracas, Venezuela, July 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)

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