Santa Cruz fire turns sky orange

Santa Cruz fire turns sky orange

Fires have ravaged more than 40,000 acres of land around the CZU Lightning Complex in Santa Cruz, California, sparking evacuations on Thursday evening (August 20).

Footage from concerned residents shows how the sky has turned orange from the intensity of the infernos.

The fires started from lightning strikes and have been aided by soaring temperatures and dry hillsides and forest land.

Several blazes have merged from Santa Cruz and San Mateo County.

Officials have dubbed them the CZU August Lightning Complex fires after the California Fire Service’s San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit.

They said that dozens of buildings have been destroyed by the fast-moving fires and more than 48,000 residents evacuated as of Thursday evening.

California has suffered dozens of separate fires in recent weeks amid record high temperatures.