Lightning sparks new fires across Calif.
Storm, high heat worsen conditions
LOS ANGELES — A rare summer storm brought lightning that sparked several small blazes in Northern California on Sunday and stoked a huge forest fire that has forced hundreds of people from their homes north of Los Angeles.
More than 4,500 buildings remained threatened by the wildfire, which was burning toward thick, dry brush in the Angeles National Forest. Firefighters — already battling the blaze on steep, rugged terrain and in scorching heat — faced more hurdles Saturday when hundreds of lightning strikes and winds up to 15 mph pushed the flames uphill.
The so-called Lake Fire was just 12% contained as of Sunday morning and has burned nearly 28 square miles of brush and trees. Fire officials said 33 buildings had been destroyed, including at least a dozen homes.
Temperatures were expected to hit the mid 90s to 100s, firefighter spokesman Jake Miller said — a slight drop from Saturday, when the mercury hit a scorching 111 degrees at the firefighters’ base camp.
Thunderstorms and excessive heat were also a concern for firefighters battling a blaze that blackened almost 4 square miles in the foothills above the Los Angeles suburb of Azusa. That fire is only 3% contained.
Many areas of the state saw triple-digit temperatures through the weekend, and the combination of prolonged heat and smoke from wildfires sent ozone pollution to levels not seen in a decade in some areas.
In Northern California, a thunderstorm moving rapidly from the Pacific Ocean onshore brought thunder and more than 4,000 lightning strikes, some of which ignited small fires and knocked out power across the San Francisco Bay Area.
“This is probably the most widespread and violent summer thunderstorm event in memory for Bay Area, & it’s also one of the hottest nights in years,” tweeted Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles.