Western wildfires: as blazes move across California, other states fight same battle
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http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/25/western-wildfires-california-evacuation-firefighters Version 0 of 1. Wildfires are charging through several dry western states, including a blaze in California that showed new life after burning for a week and forced some communities to flee their homes. A look at the latest hotspots and what crews are doing to control them: Related: Cooler weather may help crews contain California wildfires – in pictures Southern California A huge forest fire that has been burning through rugged terrain in the San Bernardino mountains for more than a week forced evacuations as it stretched east into the desert. The blaze about 90 miles east of Los Angeles showed new life as winds shifted. The tiny Mojave communities of Burns Canyon and Rimrock were ordered to leave their homes on Thursday. Evacuations were voluntary in nearby Pioneertown. A change in wind direction also forced several hundred campers to evacuate on Wednesday. Crews relied on retardant-dropping aircraft to battle the hard-to-reach fire, which began on 17 June in mountain wilderness. It has charred about 33 square miles of old-growth timber and brush and was only partially contained. Meanwhile, a wildfire north of Los Angeles that drove about 1,000 people from their homes and briefly shut down part of a major freeway was reduced to mostly embers. People could return about nine hours after the blaze broke out on Wednesday in Santa Clarita. At its height, some 500 homes had to be evacuated as flames moved close. Damage was limited to one garage. Northern California A wildfire has grown to more than 26 square miles in inaccessible terrain south of Lake Tahoe and has led to some voluntary evacuations on Thursday, officials said. No buildings have been damaged, but the small mountain town of Markleeville is under a voluntary evacuation warning, according to the Bureau of Land Management. Several campgrounds were evacuated earlier in the week, and two highways have been closed. About 900 firefighters are battling the blaze ignited by lightning on Friday about 20 miles west of the Nevada border. The fire is partially contained. Strong, erratic winds and severe drought conditions have stoked the fire, and smoke can be seen as far away as Carson City, Nevada. Alaska Growing wildfires have led to more evacuations in Alaska’s parched interior, with an international mushing champion removing his dogs from one of two communities where residents voluntarily fled their homes. More than 250 fires are burning in Alaska, including one near the remote community of Eureka that forced Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race champion Brent Sass to take his dogs to Fairbanks, news station KTUU reported. In the Athabascan village of Tanana, a tribal nonprofit flew 62 people 130 miles to Fairbanks, focusing on elders, children and people with health conditions. It also flew six people from the village of Hughes on Tuesday as a precaution – a fire is about 10 miles away. An area just north of Fairbanks also faced an evacuation advisory. Fairbanks, the interior’s largest city, has been smoky because of fires in the region even though it hasn’t been directly touched by flames. There were 40 new fires reported on Tuesday, bringing the total of active fires to 278. Altogether, fires have burned nearly 636 square miles. Oregon A wildfire scorching a remote part of south-western Oregon has grown to more than eight square miles, but hundreds of firefighters have worked to get it more than halfway contained. Incident commander Doug Johnson said heat, lower humidity, gusty winds and possible thunderstorms are expected this week, which will test the containment lines. He says firefighters will remain vigilant. The lightning-sparked blaze started on 11 June and is burning in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. |