Hotter weather expected near blaze that killed one

A haze forms from a wildfire in the Rancho San Carlos area of Carmel Valley in California on July 27. (Inset): Rancho Adobe Fire Captan James Devrloo keeps an eye on a fire line on Garza Trail in

the Rancho San Carlos Community. (AP) Firefighters are bracing for hotter weather and lower humidity in the area near Big Sur where a wildfire has destroyed 34 homes and killed a bulldozer driver working to contain the massive blaze.

Cooler temperatures gave the more than 3,000 fire crews working around the clock a brief respite Wednesday but forecasters say Thursday and Friday will bring temperatures in the upper 80s with light winds and low humidity.

Another 10 outbuildings also have been razed by the blaze that has charred 37 square miles (93 sq. kilometers). The blaze is 10 percent contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.

On Tuesday, the operator of a bulldozer was killed when it rolled over during the fight against the blaze.

Another operator escaped injury when a second bulldozer rolled over and sustained minor damage, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The name and age of the operator who was killed was not immediately available.

Battalion Chief Robert Fish said the operator was working in steep and difficult-to-access terrain when the accident occurred. Fish did not have further details about the incident but said 60 bulldozers were being used in the fight against the fire.

The death occurred as firefighters worked around the clock against the blaze near a scenic stretch of the California coast, where smoke and the threat of flames forced the closure of state parks near Big Sur, a popular tourist area. At least 2,000 structures were threatened. (AP)