New blaze ignites near LA as fierce California wildfires rage

One day after the "Thomas" fire broke out -- devastating 65,000 acres (26,300 hectares) and forcing 27,000 people to flee -- high winds caused another wave of wildfires to erupt overnight, including one in Los Angeles' affluent Bel-Air neighborhood that gridlocked heavy traffic as ash and smoke churned over the smoldering hillside. The "Skirball" fire ignited before 5 a.m. (1300 GMT) and quickly engulfed some 50 acres, with forecasters predicting the 25-mile-per-hour winds could cause further spreading, threatening multi-million dollar homes and the acclaimed Getty Center museum. Just north in Ventura County the Thomas blaze continued unabated, after erupting in the hills of oak and scrub north of Santa Paula on the gusts of powerful so-called Santa Ana winds.

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