California Wildfires Grow, Force New Evacuations as Heat Wave Creates Worry

Growing wildfires in California forced new evacuations as a heat wave Wednesday threatened to make fire conditions worse.

A blaze near the remote Northern California mountain community of Sierra Brooks was uncontained. Authorities expanded evacuation orders for a total of more than 530 residents Tuesday evening after strong winds pushed flames through dry brush and timber about 50 miles north of Lake Tahoe. The Bear Fire grew to more than 4.7 square miles and sent up a plume of smoke visible some 25 miles away in Reno, Nevada.

“Due to steep and rocky terrain, crews have experienced difficulty in gaining access to some areas of the fire, slowing progress,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement. Flames damaged power lines, knocking out electricity to more than 750 residents, the service said.

In central California, firefighters working in triple-digit temperatures were battling a blaze that scorched more than 17 square miles of dry brush in mostly open space. A handful of homes were evacuated outside of Coalinga in Fresno County. The Boone Fire was 5% contained Wednesday.

Across the state, red flag warnings for increased wildfire risk were issued. The desert communities of Palm Springs, Twentynine Palms, Needles and Barstow were heating up, with highs of up to 118 in Death Valley’s Furnace Creek expected at week’s end.

In Southern California’s Santa Barbara County, officials issued a health alert due to spiking temperatures in inland areas. The health department urged residents to stay indoors during the day and take other measures to avoid heat-related illnesses. Cooling centers were set up across Los Angeles County.