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U.S. NEWS Friday 27 July 2018
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Governor declares emergency as fires rage throughout state

By MARCIO SANCHEZ ta trying to save structures.
Associated Press Hundreds of miles to the
IDYLLWILD, Calif. (AP) — Fire south, winds were absent
stoked by hot and windy over the fire in Southern
weather raged through a California's San Jacinto
forest in far northern Califor- Mountains. But tempera-
nia on Thursday. In moun- tures were rapidly rising,
tain communities east of and forecasters said highs
Los Angeles, calmer condi- could hit 100 degrees (38
tions aided firefighters on Celsius). They also warned
the lines of a suspected of possible afternoon wind
arson wildfire that forced gusts that could create
thousands of people to dangerous fire conditions.
flee. Elsewhere in the state, a
California Gov. Jerry Brown huge forest fire continued
on Thursday issued emer- to grow outside Yosemite
gency proclamations in National Park. A total of 100
both Riverside County in the homes were still considered
south and Shasta County in under threat in the San
the north. The declarations Francisco Bay community
authorize the state to rally of Clayton, although fire-
resources to local govern- fighters had stopped the
ment. progress of a small fire there A firefighter watches as the Cranston fire grows to more 1,200 acres in the San Bernardino National
In the north, new evacu- after one house burned. Forest above Hemet, Calif., Wednesday, July 25, 2018.
ations were ordered for The blaze in the San Ja- Associated Press
communities in the wilder- cinto Mountains erupted
ness recreation region near Wednesday and quickly William Blodgett of Idyllwild of land and homes pink. which grew to more than
Whiskeytown Lake as that turned into a wall of flame said he couldn't get home Fire engines also were sta- 67 square miles (173 square
wildfire tripled in size to that torched timber and because of the fire and tioned to protect homes. kilometers) in the adjacent
more than 31 square miles tinder-dry brush. In a mat- had to wait along with oth- Yosemite Valley, the sce- Sierra National Forest. Au-
(80 square kilometers). It ter of hours, it grew to 7.5 ers at a gas station in near- nic heart of the national thorities decided on the
had already forced resi- square miles (19 square ki- by Mountain Center — until park, was closed at noon shutdown to allow crews
dents out of French Gulch, lometers). the fire hopped a highway Wednesday during the to perform protective mea-
a hamlet dating to the About 3,200 people in and began to move in his height of tourist season as sures such as burning away
Gold Rush. the town of Idyllwild and direction. smoke cast a pall on the re- brush along roadways with-
French Gulch resident nearby communities were "We were all peeling out of gion from a fire in the Sierra out having to deal with
Raquel Hines said she had ordered to evacuate. An there as fast as we could," Nevada. The closure was traffic in the park that wel-
two hours to evacuate and estimated 600 homes were he told KNBC-TV. "It was heartbreaking for travelers, comes 4 million visitors an-
that others in the former threatened. apocalyptic." many of whom mapped nually.
mining town had as little as The fire was the largest of Horses and other animals out their trips months in ad- Yosemite Valley will be
30 minutes to leave. at least five that police were taken to shelters, vance to hike and climb closed until at least Sun-
The community has faced believe were purposely as were several hundred amid the spectacular day, along with a wind-
two wildfires in the last two set Wednesday by a man children who were evacu- views of cascading water- ing, mountainous, 20-mile
weeks, Hines said. whose car was reported- ated from summer camps. falls and sheer rock faces. (32-kilometer) stretch of
"It's terrifying. You know ly spotted at the starting About 200 were at a local "We had one guest who California's State Route 41
you're frightened a little bit point of the blaze in River- high school serving as a planned a weeklong trip," that leads into the area,
because you don't know if side County, officials said. shelter, KCAL-TV reported. said Tom Lambert, who Gediman said.
you're going to come back Brandon N. McGlover, 32, The fire in the San Bernardi- owns a vacation rental At least 1,000 campground
to your house and the town of Temecula was booked no National Forest sent up a property near Yosemite and hotel bookings were
is going to be different," she on suspicion of five counts cloud 50,000 feet high that Valley. "It was a father- canceled — to say nothing
told KRCR-TV. of arson, state fire officials was so enormous it created daughter trip, for her high of the impact on day visi-
Cal Fire Unit Chief Mike said. It wasn't clear wheth- its own weather in the form school graduation ... Now tors, park workers and small
Hebrard told the Record er he had an attorney. of lightning, the National it's done. It's sad." businesses along the high-
Searchlight newspaper Authorities ordered resi- Weather Service reported. Another guest had to delay way, Gediman said.
that the blaze made a dents to leave Idyllwild and Throughout the day, he- plans to climb Half Dome. The last time the 7.5-mile-
huge push overnight and several neighboring com- licopters and planes Officials emphasized that long (12-kilometer-long)
that engine crews were in munities, home to about dumped water and fire re- Yosemite wasn't in immi- valley was closed because
the community of Old Shas- 12,000 people. tardant that turned swathes nent danger from the fire, of fire was 1990, he said.q