In dry, windy West, crews target flames in several states

And a suspected arson fire that destroyed 189 homes last week in and around Lower Lake, in Lake County, was 95 percent contained.

The fire was burning in the Colorado Gulch area just north of Interstate 90, Lolo National Forest spokesman Boyd Hartwig said.

Public tours of Hearst’s 124-room “vacation home”, Casa Grande, were initially suspended on Saturday as flames neared the estate, marking the first major fire threat to the landmark property since the 1960s, parks spokesman Dennis Weber said.

Growing wildfires stoked by windy, dry conditions have destroyed buildings and forced evacuations in California, Washington, Montana and elsewhere.

Almost 1,600 people in 13 small communities were under mandatory evacuations orders and evacuations were recommended for a half-dozen others, said fire spokesman Naaman Horn.

“This fire. has had an interesting setup in that we have lots of different microclimates going on around the fire”, Kurtz told NBC station KSBY of San Obispo.

The Chimney fire in San Luis Obispo County was burning Tuesday about two miles east of Hearst Castle, where for days crew have been protecting the tourist attraction by cutting multiple fire lines.

In neighboring Yellowstone, a fire burning near the West Entrance Road grew bigger Monday and a new team of fire managers was being brought in to help, although the fire was not being actively suppressed yet.

A cool morning inversion layer calmed much of the fire to a smolder, but afternoon temperatures were set to rise and with them the chance of increased fire activity.

Crews have fully surrounded a massive Southern California wildfire that burned for a week and destroyed 105 homes and 216 outbuildings.

The fire now threatens to destroy Hearst Castle, a designated historical monument, California state park, and home to countless artworks.

Hearst Castle, built between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, is a museum and California state park, with more than 127 acres of gardens, pools and terraces.

Fire spokeswoman Diley Greiser said early Monday that residents of at least 50 mostly rural homes near Lake Nacimiento were ordered to leave late Sunday.

A house trailer burned before the fire was contained but the person living there escaped, KECI-TV reported. But despite their best efforts, at least 16 homes have been consumed by the fires around Spokane, which are being driven by high winds amid dry conditions.

More than 1,200 firefighters are battling the 6-square-mile blaze that started August 13 and spread to the community’s downtown area and many residential neighborhoods.

The Orange County Fire Authority has also sent personnel to fight the fire, which has burned within a few miles of Hearst Castle in San Simeon. It’s 60 percent contained. The cause of the fire is unknown.

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