Worker dies near scene of wildfire
Weather no help for crews battling blazes across California
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — A utility worker was killed in an accident near a Northern California wildfire, officials said Sunday, as crews working in sweltering conditions battled fires around the state.
The Pacific Gas and Electric employee was fatally injured in a vehicle-related accident Saturday on the western edge of the Carr fire in Shasta County, utility spokesman Melissa Subbotin said. Jairus Ayeta, who was in his 20s, worked as an apprentice lineman and was part of a utility crew working in “dangerous terrain” to restore power, she said.
Ayeta is the seventh person to die in the 145,000-acre blaze that has been burning for two weeks near Redding. Armies of firefighters and fleets of aircraft continue battling the flames about 100 miles south of the Oregon state line. Two firefighters and four residents, including two children, have also died. The fire was more than 40 percent contained as of Sunday.
To the south, new evacuations were ordered Saturday evening near two fires burning in Mendocino and Lake counties across wilderness on both sides of Clear Lake. Dry, hot winds fueled both blazes, which have collectively charred nearly 400 square miles of brush and timber.
The Mendocino Complex fire continued to grow at a rapid rate, burning 254,000 acres by Sunday morning and becoming fifth-largest in California history.
Officials said Sunday night that 9,300 structures are threatened, 68 homes have burned and another 12 have been damaged.
The two fires that make up the Mendocino Complex, the Ranch and River fires, have burned in separate directions for days.
The Ranch fire had burned 207,000 acres to the north of Clear Lake and was 23 percent contained; the River fire had burned 47,000 acres to the west of Clear Lake and was 58 percent
contained.
The Mendocino Complex fire is approaching the size of the biggest fire ever recorded in California: December’s Thomas fire, which burned 281,000 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
The Mendocino Complex fire was the largest of 18 major brush fires burning across California over the weekend.
Meteorologist Steve Anderson had warned of wind gusts of up to 25 mph forecast for Sunday. Temperatures will remain hot all week across much of the state, including Southern California, where warnings of increased fire danger are in place.
Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday toured Redding neighborhoods wiped out by flames and called on President Donald Trump to help California fight and recover from the devastating wildfire season. The Trump administration issued a federal disaster declaration shortly after the governor requested it.
“The president has been pretty good on helping us in disasters, so I’m hopeful,” Brown, a Democrat, said in making the request. “Tragedies bring people together.”
On Sunday, Trump tweeted that the wildfires hitting California are “being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren’t allowing massive amount of readily available water to be properly utilized.” Trump said the water is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean.
The president also called for clearing trees to stop the fires from spreading.
Some areas on the Carr fire’s southeastern flank were reopened to relieved residents.
The Carr fire, which incinerated 1,067 homes, started with sparks from the steel wheel of a towed trailer’s flat tire, state officials said.
The fire burned slowly for days before winds suddenly whipped it up last week and drove it quickly through dry brush and trees.
The 18 major fires in California have scorched more than 470,000 acres, displaced about 40,000 residents, destroyed hundreds of homes and killed nine people — including two firefighters assisting in a wildfire near Yosemite National Park.
The Ferguson fire near Yosemite National Park has burned more than 81,000 acres. Yosemite Valley has been closed since July 25.
On Sunday, the National Park Service announced that parts of Yosemite National Park will remain closed indefinitely because of growing fires in areas near and on the park.
A wildfire burning in Tuolumne County in Northern California grew dramatically Sunday and led to more evacuation orders, the Sacramento Bee reported.