Evacuations Ordered in Southern California as Wildfire Devours 4,000 Acres

A wildfire in southern California prompted mandatory evacuations Friday in Santa Barbara County as emergency workers struggled to contain the blaze, according to a county report.

The fire, which stretches across 4,000 acres, is 5% contained and has more than 1,200 emergency workers devoting to stopping it, according to the county. Officials expect that scorching hot temperatures could make containing the fire over the weekend difficult.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but damage from wildfires has increased in recent years—largely due to higher temperatures and drier forests caused by climate change.