The brutal heat wave sweeping the Western U.S. is making it that much harder for firefighters to combat two wildfires that sparked Monday on the outskirts of Los Angeles. California's years-long drought and recent high winds have further fueled the flames. As of Wednesday, the twin wildfires in the Angeles National Forest were "0 percent contained" and covered a collective area of 5,400 acres. "They haven't merged as of yet but they are being handled as one fire," Maria Holguin, a spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service, said of the fires, which are fewer than two miles apart.
More than 600 personnel are working to combat the fire, and more are expected to be brought in Wednesday. Over 12,000 people have been evacuated from 770 homes in the towns of Duarte and Azusa, located east of Los Angeles.
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