A fire in an abandoned building early Thursday morning on Chicago's southwest side that left one person hospitalized and closed roads sent large plumes of smoke billowing into the air, leaving a lingering smell of smoke in some parts of the city as the busy rush hour commute got underway.
Multiple firefighters responded to the scene and worked to put out flames at the building, located at 2938 W. 63rd St., in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. One person who became trapped had to be rescued by ladder, Chicago fire officials said.
According to officials, the fire began around 4:30 a.m. By around 7:30 a.m., the fire was "under control," CFD said.
The western suburbs also saw smoke in the air Thursday morning, when a vehicle caught fire on I-90, with clouds of smoke traveling across the Interstate.
The fire and smoke in Chicago comes as destructive and deadly wildfires burn in Los Angeles, California, with firefighters battling at least four big blazes amid strong winds.
The largest of the fires -- nearly 18,000 aces -- was in Pacific Palisades, where officials said thousands of structures were destroyed. Other fires still burning in LA County included the Hurst fire near San Fernando, the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills, and the Eaton Fire in Altadena.
Strong wind gusts -- upwards of 80 miles-per-hour -- were pushing the fires to spread more quickly, with reporters in LA comparing the gusts to those of hurricanes or tropical storms.
Local
"This is an exceptional event," NBC 5 Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes said Thursday, of the winds in California. "If you were covering a hurricane without the rain, and you have those intensive winds, and the embers are blowing around everywhere. The fire is just spreading so quickly."
Winds Thursday were not expected to be as strong, Jeanes, said, though they will still be high, upwards of 65 or 75 miles-per-hour.
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"Lighter, if you can believe that, than yesterday."
The wind was expected to relax over the next few days, Jeanes, said, with wind direction shifting over the weekend.
What are California’s Santa Ana winds?
Santa Ana winds are common in Southern California during cooler months. Here’s a look at the often-fierce winds that topple power lines and trees and can turn a spark into a raging wildfire:
What are Santa Ana winds?
Santa Anas are dry, warm and gusty northeast winds that blow from the interior of Southern California toward the coast and offshore, moving in the opposite direction of the normal onshore flow that carries moist air from the Pacific into the region.
How do they form?
Santa Anas are created by high pressure over the Great Basin — the vast desert interior of the West overlapping several states. The sinking air loses its moisture and flows in a clockwise direction toward Southern California, where it must get past towering mountain ranges that separate the desert from the metropolitan region lining the coast. Like a slow-moving river that suddenly narrows and turns into rapids, the air speeds up as it squeezes through mountain passes and canyons, becoming drier and warmer as it descends.
Why do they create wildfire danger?
Humidity levels often plunge to single-digit percentages during a Santa Ana wind. The extreme lack of humidity in the air causes vegetation — living and dead — to significantly dry out and become susceptible to fire. The tremendous wind speeds can stoke any spark — from a fallen power line, for example — into a rapidly spreading conflagration. Santa Anas are linked to some of the worst wildfires Southern California has experienced.
How did they get their name?
A commonly accepted explanation is that the name is linked to Santa Ana Canyon in Orange County. Other theories persist, along with other nicknames such as “devil winds.”
How do the winds affect people?
Santa Ana winds can sweep urban pollution away, creating sparkling vistas. At the same time, the extreme lack of moisture dries out lips, noses, throats and skin. In the short story “Red Wind,” Raymond Chandler captured the emotional effect: “There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch
