As far as i know right now no Canadian Fire Fighters were killed, But I will keep you all updated.
By Jill Serjeant
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A voracious brush fire, believed to have been arson, swept through the desert hills near Palm Springs on Thursday, killing four firefighters, sending residents fleeing and trapping hundreds more in a rural park for recreational vehicles.
Whipped by warm winds after a long, dry summer, the fire roared through about 10,000 acres in 12 hours. The fire destroyed several homes and engulfed a fire truck.
"This is an arson fire. A deliberately set fire that leads to the death of anyone constitutes murder," Riverside County Fire Department chief John Hawkins angrily told reporters at a news conference.
Fire officials said a "substantial" reward would be offered to catch the arsonists.
They said three firefighters in the truck were killed outright and two others were critically burned. One of those injured died in the hospital later, bringing the death toll to four, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Pat Boss said.
"One of those injured has just passed," Boss said. "They were laying a hose around the house for protection. The winds were very erratic and caught the firefighters."
The fire started shortly after midnight in an area 90 miles
east of Los Angeles and 17 miles northwest of Palm Springs.
About 700 people were ordered to leave their homes as the blaze took hold. Many were forced to flee at a moment's notice, leaving belongings and pets behind.
"The flames were 100 feet tall, burning on both sides of the road. I didn't think I would make it," said Charles Miner, who suffered slight burns to his hand.
Hawkins said an additional 400 to 1,000 people were trapped in a recreational vehicle park in the hills because firefighters had been unable to get them out.
"They are sheltered in place, which means we could not evacuate them in time. They're going to encounter heat and smoke but they are probably going to be OK. We have firefighters with those people," he said.
Officials were unable to give precise figures for the numbers of homes destroyed or those injured because of the thick smoke and remote area.
One man said he watched his home burn. "My neighbor's house, everything around me (burned). My son got burned driving out," the man, called Victor, told local Fox11 TV.
Many left behind dogs, cats and horses. "We didn't have time to get our animals. We have five Dobies and they've just had eight puppies. And then we have a bunch of cats," a distraught Desiree Atkins told reporters.
About 1,000 firefighters battled the blaze as 80 degree Fahrenheit (26 Celsius) winds gusting up to 30 mph (50 kph) drove flames up the valley, through canyons and over hills.
"You feel the enemy. The enemy blows in our face right now. It is the Santa Ana wind. It drives the fire," Hawkins said.