BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. (AP) — Residents of roughly 1,000 homes near the Arizona-California line have been told to evacuate as wildfires blaze across thousands of acres in the tinder-dry West. ADVERTISING BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. (AP) — Residents of roughly 1,000
BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. (AP) — Residents of roughly 1,000 homes near the Arizona-California line have been told to evacuate as wildfires blaze across thousands of acres in the tinder-dry West.
The fire in Arizona’s Mohave Valley area grew to more than 10 square miles in Monday. About 300 firefighters were battling it amid brisk winds, low humidity and dense vegetation.
“What we have is holding up, and we are working to continue to hold those containment lines,” fire spokeswoman Dolores Garcia said.
The blaze broke out Saturday in the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge. Authorities say it has burned an estimated 11 structures, but they did not say whether any were homes or if they were damaged or destroyed.
The fire is uncontained, and its cause is under investigation. Here’s a look at other wildfires burning up Western states:
OLD VS. NEW CALIFORNIA FIRES
As crews close in on a destructive blaze in Northern California’s rural, rocky hills, another wildfire erupted nearby and quickly spread across nearly 8 square miles.
Evacuations have been ordered for the fire that ignited Sunday and doubled in size overnight, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
Authorities couldn’t say how many homes were evacuated or how many people were told to be prepared to flee. Containment of the fire about 100 miles north of San Francisco was not in sight Monday morning.
Firefighters and air tankers battling the bigger nearby fire were reassigned to attack the new blaze. No homes have been destroyed or injuries reported Monday.
Meanwhile, firefighters have nearly surrounded the larger blaze that started about two weeks ago and burned 109 square miles.
That fire destroyed 43 homes, but all evacuations have been lifted. Students in the Middletown Unified School District could start classes next Tuesday, but it might be later depending on where the fire burns.
Fire officials are investigating the causes of both fires.
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FIREFIGHTERS KILLED
A U.S. Forest Service firefighter was killed in the Lake Tahoe area after he was struck by a tree while battling a wildfire — the second firefighter killed in a California blaze since the summer wildfire season got underway.
Michael Hallenbeck, 21, of Shingle Springs, California, was hit Saturday during the initial attack on a fire that broke out south of the Echo Summit mountain pass.
On July 30, a firefighter was killed by a wildfire in the Modoc National Forest while he scouted the area for ways to fight the blaze. Forest Service firefighter David Ruhl, of Rapid City, South Dakota, had been on temporary assignment since June in California.
On Sunday, hundreds of people turned out in Rapid City to pay their respects at a procession and memorial service for Ruhl. Forest Service Associate Chief Mary Wagner attended, saying Ruhl’s death was “felt by every member of the Forest Service.”
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ELSEWHERE IN THE WEST
— Overcast skies and higher humidity helped fire crews get a preliminary line around a wildfire in Lewis County, Washington. Evacuations have been lifted, and there have been no reports of injuries.
While the cooler weather is helping firefighting efforts, crews are keeping an eye on thunderstorms that are in the forecast for later Monday.
— Fire crews are working to control a blaze that has spread across nearly 2 square miles on Oahu, Hawaii, and led to evacuations. No structures were damaged Monday. Part of Highway 270 closed when a pile of timber caught fire.
— A fire that started nearly three weeks ago near St. Mary Lake in Montana’s Glacier National Park has burned nearly 7 square miles and is more than halfway contained.
