Wildfires Rip Through California with Record Heat on the Way
Dry vegetation fueled three wildfires near Los Angeles amid warnings on Friday that the risk of new blazes was high as temperatures spike and humidity levels drop during a statewide heat wave.
A huge forest fire that prompted evacuations north of Los Angeles was just 12 percent contained and after threatening more than 5,400 homes, it had charred over 18 square miles of brush and trees.
Cooler overnight temperatures helped firefighters increase containment, but the forecast called for hot, dry weather with dangerous fire conditions due to possible gusty winds, officials said.
Record-breaking heat is possible through the weekend, with triple-digit temperatures and unhealthy air predicted for many parts of the state.
Preliminary damage assessments found that at least five buildings burned in the Lake Hughes area north of Los Angeles, but authorities said they believed more had been damaged or destroyed.
There was no containment of a blaze that blackened foothills above the Los Angeles suburb of Azusa. It ripped through nearly 4 square miles of brush on Thursday and was moving away from homes.
Evacuation orders issued to residents were lifted early Friday.
Another blaze came dangerously close to a neighborhood in the city of Corona, east of Los Angeles, before crews controlled it.
A Northern California fire in the community of Sloughhouse, near Sacramento, burned about 500 acres before firefighters stopped its forward spread.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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