California Fire 90% Contained

August 12,2013

BANNING, Calif. -- A fire that has been raging in Southern California is 90% contained, according to firefighters and officials.  The fire in Riverside County has burned 48 buildings, including 26 homes in the San Jacinto Mountains. 

The blaze injured 10 firefighters and seriously burned a mountain biker who was overrun by the fast-moving flames when the fire erupted Wednesday.

(MORE: Midwest Swamped by Flooding)

The blaze injured 10 firefighters and seriously burned a mountain biker who was overrun by the fast-moving flames when the fire erupted Wednesday.

At its peak, the fire forced the evacuation of 1,800 people, including 800 campers. Evacuation orders for several communities remain in effect; some campgrounds and trails are also closed.

Gov. Jerry Brown declared an emergency for the area Friday, freeing up additional funds and resources for the firefight and recovery.
More than 1,800 firefighters continue to battle the blaze, with crews hiking two to three hours to get to the fire line.
Most of Southern California's severe wildfires are associated with Santa Ana winds, caused by high pressure over the West that sends a clockwise flow of air rushing down into the region. The same area burned, pushed along with those infamous winds, in the 2006 Esperanza Fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Lightning Sparks Wildfires in Oregon

More than 10,000 lightning strikes have peppered the state over the weekend, starting many small wildfires in central and southern Oregon.

Sarah Levy of the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center says rain accompanied some of the lightning strikes, and fire managers are waiting to see how much the precipitation affected blazes burning throughout the state.
There are eight major fires or complexes of fires in Oregon, all coming after barrages of lightning since late July. The largest active fire is the Douglas Complex in southwest Oregon, which has scorched almost 45,000 acres.
A 59-year-old man died over the weekend while working on a fire line in southeastern Oregon.
Kevin Hall apparently suffered a medical issue Saturday while he was working for a bulldozer contractor on the Grassy Mountain fire, about 60 miles southwest of Boise, Idaho, said Carolyn Chad, associate manager for the federal Bureau of Land Management's local district.
In Eastern Oregon, the state fire marshal says cool weather and light rain allowed officials monitoring the Grouse Mountain Fire near John Day to lift a warning that structures are threatened.
(MORE: Where's the Hottest City in Your State?)

Clouds, Calm Winds Slow Growth of Wyo. Wildfire

Cloud cover and relatively calm winds have slowed the growth of a wildfire that has burned more than 24 square miles in northwest Wyoming.
The Hardluck Fire has been burning in the Shoshone National Forest about 50 miles southwest of Cody since July 17 when it was started by lightning. The fire is burning in rugged, inaccessible terrain, and firefighters have been letting it burn so far.
It is 0 percent contained.

Fire on Utah-Idaho Border Grows to 25 Miles

A wildfire on the Utah-Idaho border grew to more than 25 square miles Sunday evening.
Jennifer Hansen with the Northern Utah Interagency Fire said late Sunday that the State Fire near Portage, Utah, had pushed significantly to the north and was about a mile south of the Idaho community of Samaria.
The threat to the town is minimal and no evacuation orders are in place, Hansen said. She said some residents have decided leave of their own accord, but it was unclear how many.
The fire was 38 percent contained Sunday morning but Hansen said officials have not estimated containment since then.
Conditions have been slightly windy Sunday, which fueled some of the fire's growth, but Hansen said officials do not expect the blaze to grow much overnight.
Two Utah National Guard Blackhawk helicopters are assisting fire crews with the lightning-caused blaze.
Gov. Gary Herbert authorized Guard members to help fight wildfires burning in the northern part of the state Sunday.
The governor's office said in a statement that extra air support from the Guard members was requested to help battle flames in steep canyons because fires in other parts of the state have diverted scare air resources.
Utah National Guard members are also assisting firefighting efforts with the Millville Fire in Cache County, which had burned almost 3 square miles south of Logan as of Sunday evening.
Logan City fire marshal Craig Humphreys told The Salt Lake Tribune the fire was reported around 4 a.m. Sunday between Millville Canyon and Blacksmith Fork Canyon.
Humphreys said lightning caused four separate fires in the area, two of which burned into each other.

1 / 37

A home destroyed by a wildfire on Aug. 9, 2013, near Banning, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)