Winds May Stoke Tahoe Fire

(NEWSER) - 13,575 people have fled their homes as a wildfire that has consumed 1,300 acres rages in Santa Barbara, Calif., the Los Angeles Times reports. Another 13,000 are on alert, Bloomberg adds. Officials are unsure how many homes have been destroyed, but it’s in the “dozens.” “Today is another day of concern,” a fireman said. “It could be a mirror image of yesterday,” when high winds caused the blaze to spread. More»

Santa Barbara under state of emergency as wildfires scorch hillsides

(NEWSER) - Raging wildfires in the hills above Santa Barbara have destroyed at least 20 homes and are threatening many more, reports the Los Angeles Times. Some 900 firefighters are battling the wind-driven fires, but are hampered by poor access to the area. Three were hospitalized with burns after flames engulfed their truck. More»

Record temperatures signal worrisome fire season

(NEWSER) - Roughly 1,000 people abandoned 400 California homes today as firefighters battled a blaze in the Sierra Madre foothills, the Los Angeles Times reports. The fire spread through some 400 acres, and containment is not expected for days. Record-setting temperatures are to blame for the blaze marking an early start of the fire season. "This is not a lazy fire," a fire chief said. "This fire is burning with some energy." More»

1,000 evacuated, at least 165 structures destroyed

(NEWSER) - A rapidly spreading wildfire, just outside South Lake Tahoe in northern California, has destroyed 165 structures and ravaged 2000 acres of heavily wooded land, the Los Angeles Times reports. Hundreds more buildings are threatened and nearly a thousand people have been evacuated from nearby communities. There are no injuries reported so far. More»

(NEWSER) - The so-called Station Fire is closing in on Los Angeles residents who refused to evacuate with their neighbors over the weekend and are now trapped and in danger, KTLA reports. Five people are stranded in a canyon, according to the AP. "Those people were told to get out two days ago, and now we are putting our people in danger to get them out," says a LA County sheriff's department rep. More»