USA TODAY International Edition
Fire crews gain on devastating blazes
Firefighters in Southern California were gaining ground Sunday on a devastating blaze that destroyed more than 100 homes in mountainous San Bernardino County, while another blaze farther north threatened the iconic Hearst Castle.
The fires were among several burning in tinder- dry California, where years of unrelenting drought have left much of the state vulnerable.
The Blue Cut Fire, raging about 70 miles northeast of Los Angeles, had burned almost 60 square miles of rugged country while forcing up to 80,000 people to flee their homes. Most evacuation orders were lifted over the weekend as firefighters worked to solidify containment lines, the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
The fire was 83% contained early Sunday, Cal Fire said. Almost 2,000 firefighters were battling the blaze aided by almost two dozen air tankers and helicopters.
“They’re holding the perimeter fairly well. It’s just a matter of getting the containment lines cut around it,” U. S. Forest Service spokeswoman Lyn Sieliet told the Los Angeles Times. She said wind gusts were reaching 50 mph — “enough to move the fire.”
No deaths have been associated with the fire, but 105 homes and more than 200 other buildings were destroyed. San Bernardino County Fire Marshal Mike Horton told the Associated Press he will lead a team of 15 investigators, technicians, hazardous materials experts and others to determine the extent of the damage.
“Once it’s cool enough, we go parcel- by- parcel,” Horton said.
In Central California, the Chimney Fire has burned almost 40 square miles in San Luis Obispo County, and some towns have been under evacuation orders for more than a week.
The fire roared to within three miles of the Hearst Castle, built almost a century ago for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. The building, now a National Historic Landmark, was closed to visitors as a precaution.
That fire, which destroyed more than 30 homes, was 35% contained, Cal Fire said.