Crash of small plane near Tehachapi kills 1, ignites brush fire
A small plane crashed near Tehachapi on Sunday, killing one person and igniting a fast-moving brush fire that destroyed a home and triggered evacuations.
Kern County Fire Department spokesman Cary Wright said the Cessna 210 crashed in Blackburn Canyon, northeast of Los Angeles.
Amid dry, windy conditions, the crash sparked a fire that quickly grew to 150 acres. About 225 firefighters and four aircraft were working to contain the blaze.
Authorities did not know how many people were on the plane, but one death was confirmed.
The fire is “growing by the minute,” Wright told the Associated Press, adding that it had shifted direction at least three times.
Firefighters attacked the flames continuously with water-dropping aircraft. Most of the ground crews were focused on protecting structures.
“The terrain is steep, rugged. The wind is swirling. All the dry brush is a huge fuel source,” Wright told the Associated Press.
Officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for 30 threatened homes. One house burned to the ground, Wright said.
No injuries were reported.
An evacuation center was set up at the old Jacobsen Middle School in Tehachapi.
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