Northern California
Wildfires spread: Seventeen serious wildfires burned throughout California this week, with new fires erupting as more than 12,300 firefighters struggled to contain the damage. The Carr Fire, which originated near the city of Redding, has burned nearly 113,000 acres, killed six people, destroyed almost 1,000 homes, and forced 40,000 Northern Californians to flee, making it the sixth-most destructive wildfire in the state’s history. The blazes have been exacerbated by drought conditions along with an extreme heat wave; in some places, flames were so intense that they created tornado-like winds. Four men have died fighting the fires. “It’s a horrendous battle,” said Scott McLean, a deputy chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. In just one week, firefighters responded to over 1,000 wildfires. “When it’s time to leave, leave,” McLean said. “Do not stay.”