Fires rage in several states as US experiences intense heatwave and high winds
- The Sugar fire, which started on July 2, had spread to 83,256 acres as of Sunday morning and remained at 8 per cent contained
- The Dotta fire started on June 30, spread across 670 acres and was 99 per cent contained early on Sunday
A fire in northern California continued to grow overnight amid an intense heatwave and increased winds that were expected to complicate firefighting efforts.
Authorities received reports of homes destroyed in multiple communities, but no official figures have been released, said Lisa Cox, public information officer for the Beckwourth Complex fire. Video posted to social media showed homes ablaze in the town of Doyle. A damage assessment team was working on a tally.
The Sugar fire, which started on July 2, had spread to 83,256 acres as of Sunday morning and remained at 8 per cent contained. The fire, now the state’s largest of the season, was one of two sparked by lightning in the Plumas National Forest that have together been dubbed the Beckwourth Complex fire. The other, the Dotta fire, started on June 30 and was 670 acres and 99 per cent contained by early Sunday.
About 3,000 people in Plumas and Lassen counties, north of Sacramento, remained under evacuation orders or warnings on Sunday.
The fire reached Highway 395 on Saturday evening, prompting the closure of the highway from County Road A-26 just north of Doyle to State Route 70.