POLLOCK PINES,
Calif. (AP) — As an expanding wildfire in Northern California kept
nearly 3,000 people from their homes, teams sought to find out how many
structured had already been lost to the huge blaze, authorities said.
While officials confirmed that
several structures have been damaged or destroyed in the King Fire,
dangerous conditions have so far prevented them from determining an
exact number or how many of them were homes, fire spokesman Mike
McMillian said.
The fire some 60 miles east of grew to more than 128 square miles Saturday, and gathering thunderstorms could either help or harm the firefight with moisture or wind, authorities said.
The blaze began one week ago, and a man accused of starting the blaze is being held on $10 million bail. It is just 10 percent contained.
More than 5,000 firefighters — from as far as and — are helping crews battle the blaze that has not only consumed grass and brush, but swaths of extremely dry tall timber.
"That's what makes it difficult for a direct attack," McMillian said. "The main fuel that is burning is the tall timber. We're making some progress, but it is slow going in some areas as we're trying to construct more contingency and control lines."
About 100 evacuees have been allowed to return home, but some 2,700 remain under evacuation orders, Cal Fire said in a statement.
Also of concern are possible wind gusts of up to 30 mph that could push the fire, which has spread from the north to the south, state fire spokeswoman Lynne Tolmachoff said.
AP Photo: Rich Pedroncelli
"That would open up a whole new area for it to burn in," Tolmachoff said.
The fire has spread to the Tahoe National Forest northwest of , McMillian said. Also, the fire is threatening a key University of California, Berkeley research station that his home to scores of experiments on trees, plants and other wildlife.
Wayne Allen Huntsman, 37, pleaded not guilty to an arson charge Friday in Superior Court.
Authorities have not said what evidence they have linking Huntsman to the fire, by far one of the largest of about a dozen fires burning statewide.
Meanwhile, a wildfire in the town of Weed near the Oregon border was fully contained Saturday after burning 479 acres and destroying 143 homes. Another wildfire that destroyed 37 homes near was 93 percent contained.
The fire some 60 miles east of grew to more than 128 square miles Saturday, and gathering thunderstorms could either help or harm the firefight with moisture or wind, authorities said.
The blaze began one week ago, and a man accused of starting the blaze is being held on $10 million bail. It is just 10 percent contained.
More than 5,000 firefighters — from as far as and — are helping crews battle the blaze that has not only consumed grass and brush, but swaths of extremely dry tall timber.
"That's what makes it difficult for a direct attack," McMillian said. "The main fuel that is burning is the tall timber. We're making some progress, but it is slow going in some areas as we're trying to construct more contingency and control lines."
About 100 evacuees have been allowed to return home, but some 2,700 remain under evacuation orders, Cal Fire said in a statement.
Also of concern are possible wind gusts of up to 30 mph that could push the fire, which has spread from the north to the south, state fire spokeswoman Lynne Tolmachoff said.
AP Photo: Rich Pedroncelli
Firefighter
Cameron Andersen, of the US Forest Service, pours water on burning
embers while clearing hot spots of the King fire in the El Dorado
National Forest near Georgetown, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014.
The fire has spread to the Tahoe National Forest northwest of , McMillian said. Also, the fire is threatening a key University of California, Berkeley research station that his home to scores of experiments on trees, plants and other wildlife.
Wayne Allen Huntsman, 37, pleaded not guilty to an arson charge Friday in Superior Court.
Authorities have not said what evidence they have linking Huntsman to the fire, by far one of the largest of about a dozen fires burning statewide.
Meanwhile, a wildfire in the town of Weed near the Oregon border was fully contained Saturday after burning 479 acres and destroying 143 homes. Another wildfire that destroyed 37 homes near was 93 percent contained.
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