California Wildfires Force 1000 to Flee, Turn Homes to Ash

OAKHURST, Calif. -- Two raging wildfires in California forced around 1,000 people to flee their homes, including one blaze near a lakeside resort town that burned nearly two dozen structures. That fire was sparked Sunday afternoon near Bass Lake in Central California, Madera County Sheriff's spokeswoman Erica Stuart said. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said flames damaged or destroyed 21 structures. The Fresno Bee reported one neighborhood was hit especially hard, with several homes turned to ash and smoldering embers.

'This is gut-wrenching,' CalFire Battalion Chief Chris Christopherson told the newspaper. 'It makes you sick.' The fire started off a road outside of Oakhurst, a foothill community south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park, and made a run to Bass Lake. Stoked by winds, it quickly charred at least 320 acres, CalFire spokesman Daniel Berlant said. Further north, a wildfire about 60 miles east of Sacramento forced the evacuation of 133 homes. Meanwhile in Southern California, evacuation orders for 200 homes in Orange County's Silverado Canyon were lifted late Sunday as firefighters contained 50 percent of a wildfire.

- news3blog.blogspot.com

First published September 15 2014, 1:30 AM