Americas

Americas

Dangerous wildfire advances in California

11 July 2008 10:56 (UTC +04:00)

California â€“APA.Firefighters worked to keep flames from reaching more homes after a lightning-sparked wildfire advanced Thursday in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California.
The wildfire in Butte County destroyed at least 50 homes earlier in the week, mostly in Concow, and has sent as many as 10,000 residents fleeing. It continued burning through brush and trees, but no other homes were reported lost overnight, officials said Thursday.
"Things were looking good overnight," said Anne McLean, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. "So far, so good."
Firefighters made their stand along the Feather River on the banks across from the city of Paradise, which is at risk if the winds shift and the blaze jumps the river. The fire threatens nearly 4,000 homes in Paradise, where last month a separate wildfire destroyed 74 homes.
Across the state, fire crews have strained to cover hundreds of wildfires that have burned nearly 1,100 square miles and destroyed nearly 100 homes since a lightning storm ignited most of them more than two weeks ago. About 1,460 fires had been contained, but more than 320 were still active, authorities said.