Residents evacuated as wildfires threaten more homes
FIREFIGHTERS struggling to contain destructive Northern California wildfires found themselves facing a new blaze that drove through a rural area near a national forest.
About 60 homes in an old ranching and farming area near Covelo, which is about 180 miles north of San Francisco, were ordered to be evacuated as the blaze erupted.
Gusty winds quickly drove it through about a square mile of grasslands, oak, pine and timber near Mendocino National Forest, Mendocino County Undersheriff Matthew Kendall said.
“We’re advised the fire was threatening structures,” he said.
Firefighting aircraft were called in but it was unclear when they might arrive because many already were engaged in other fires, Mr Kendall said.
Some 40 miles to the south, twin fires straddling Mendocino and
Lake counties have destroyed at least seven homes and threatened an estimated 12,000 more.
Jessyca Lytle fled a fast-moving Northern California wildfire in 2015 that spared her property but destroyed her mother’ s memorabilia filled home in rural Lake County.
Less than three years later, Ms Lytle found herself listening to scanner traffic and fire-proofing her mother’s new home as another wildfire advanced.
“Honestly, what I’m thinking right now is I just want this to end,” Ms Lytle said, adding that she was “exhausted in every way possible physically, emotionally, all of that.”
Elsewhere, the Carr Fire had burned more than 880 homes and killed six people in and around Redding. Another 348 outbuildings were also destroyed, and the blaze is now the seventh most destructive wildfire in California history, fire officials said.
National Park officials said the scenic Yosemite Valley and other areas will be closed “at least through Sunday” due to heavy smoke from the so-called Ferguson Fire.
In Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, an arson fire that destroyed seven homes last week has been 82% contained.
Evacuation orders remain in effect for the town of Lakeport, the county seat, although orders for some smaller communities were lifted.