How a stolen car sparked another California blaze and more lost homes
JURUPA VALLEY, California - A stolen car sparked a wildfire in a bone-dry field on Thursday as two of Southern California's quintessential themes - car chases and gusty Santa Ana winds - collided with potentially devastating consequences.
The hot car ignited dry grass in a field in the city of Jurupa Valley east of Los Angeles and strong winds that have menaced the region quickly spread the flames, burning homes and forcing residents to flee.
The frightening scenario was among the latest to erupt as exceptionally dry conditions and vicious gusts have contributed to destructive fires that forced tens of thousands of evacuations across the state while other Californians endured dayslong deliberate power outages aimed at preventing electric lines from sparking fires.
