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U.S. NEWS A3
Monday 14 September 2015
More Than 180 Homes Destroyed by California Fires
ELLEN KNICKMEYER ing ruins with a piece of crew were injured Saturday of Middletown, including ated. Gov. Jerry Brown on
Associated Press scrap metal. while battling the flames. his home, have burned to Sunday declared a state of
MIDDLETOWN, California “This is my home. Or it was,” They remained hospitalized the ground. In some areas emergency to free up re-
(AP) — Two of California’s said Galvin, who spent all in stable condition Sunday, of town “there is nothing sources.
fastest-burning wildfires in night fighting another fire in Berlant said. but burned houses, burned Brown had already de-
decades overtook several clared a state of emer-
Northern California towns, Vernon Fire Department crew of Engine 11 Fire hose down hot spots on home burned in the Butte gency for the separate
destroying more than 180 Fire on Mountain Ranch Road a few miles east of San Andreas on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, in San 101-square-mile (160-kilo-
homes and sending resi- Andreas, Calif. The Butte fire started Wednesday east of the Amador County town of Jackson and meter) wildfire southeast of
dents fleeing Sunday on is forcing evacuations in the dry hills east of Highway 49. Sacramento that has de-
highways lined with build- stroyed at least 81 homes
ings, guardrails and cars still (Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee via AP and 51 outbuildings and
in flames. turned the grassy, tree-
At least 100 homes were Amador County. There’s no official tally of cars,” he said, adding that studded Sierra Nevada
destroyed by a wildfire in Wind gusts that reached the destruction yet be- he had nothing left but the foothills an eerie white.
Northern California’s Lake up to 30 miles per hour (48 cause firefighters are fo- clothes he was wearing. Fire officials had earlier
County that raced through kph) sent embers raining cused on new evacuation The 60-square-mile (155-sq. counted 86 homes de-
dry brush and exploded in down on homes and made orders and on residents’ kilometer) fire erupted Sat- stroyed, but issued the new
size within hours, officials it hard for firefighters to stop safety, he said. urday afternoon and rap- figure Sunday morning.
said Sunday. The devasta- the Lake County blaze from People were ordered Sun- idly chewed through brush Crews have also increased
tion comes after a sepa- advancing, California De- day to evacuate a in Clear and trees parched from containment on that blaze
rate wildfire to the south- partment of Forest Protec- Lake Riviera, a town with several years of drought, to 20 percent.
east destroyed at least 81 tion spokesman Daniel Ber- about 3,000 residents, Cal Cal Fire said. Entire towns as The fire, which broke out on
homes. lant said. Fire said. well as residents along a 35- Wednesday was threaten-
Residents streamed from Four firefighters who are George Escalona told The mile (56-kilometer) stretch ing about 6,400 more build-
Middletown Sunday morn- members of a helicopter Associated Press that parts of highway were evacu- ings.
ing and had to dodge smol- Mark Ghilarducci, director
dering telephone poles, of the Governor’s Office of
downed power lines and Emergency Services, said
fallen trees as they drove this summer’s fires are the
through billowing smoke. most volatile he has seen
Whole blocks of houses in 30 years of emergency
burned in parts of Middle- response work. The main
town, where firefighters cause behind the fast-
were driving around flam- spreading fires is dry con-
ing utility poles to put out ditions from the four-year
spot fires Sunday after- drought, he said.
noon. On the west side of Meanwhile, new evacua-
town, house after house tion orders were issued Sat-
was burned to their foun- urday for the largest wildfire
dations, with only charred in the state, threatening to
appliances and twisted sweep through an ancient
metal garage doors still grove of Giant Sequoia
recognizable. trees. The fire, sparked by
Homeowner Justin Galvin, lightning on July 31, has
33, himself a firefighter, charred 201 square miles
stood alone at his home, (520 sq. kilometers), the U.S.
poking its shin-high, smok- Forest Service said.q
