Wildfires force evacuations in California

Hot and dry conditions in the West are feeding wildfires in the US and Canada, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of people. Early reports that the blaze was started by a auto fire are unconfirmed and the cause is under investigation, according to officials. It’s the largest of 14 wildfires now burning across the state.

“We would like everyone to say a prayer for the courageous fire fighters who kept us safe and continue to battle the fire”, the summer camp wrote in a note on Facebook. Large livestock should be taken to the Unocal Event Center, and small animals can be taken to the Santa Maria Animal Center, 548 W. Foster Road, according to Stacy Silva, community outreach coordinator.

A wildfire near Lake Cachuma in the Santa Ynez Valley remained “completely out of control” on Sunday, and residents and campers were evacuated throughout the area.

The fire has also prompted air quality advisories for northern Santa Barbara County for the weekend as smoke blows into the Santa Maria area and other locations.

The fire started early on Saturday afternoon and spread across both sides of a busy highway.

Destructive wildfires burning across the West have charred a handful more buildings and led to more evacuations.

Another blaze, called the Whittier Fire, that was close to Los Padres National Forest was threatening structures at Camp Whittier and Lake Cachuma, the sheriff said. The fire has not spread since it broke out Wednesday and was still less than a square mile (about one-third square kilometer) Sunday. The Axel fire was reported burning near Axel Court and Barrister Court.

No deaths have been reported as more than 1,000 firefights tackle the fierce fires.

Evacuations orders affected almost 300 homes.

In Wyoming, fire managers say good weather has helped them make progress fighting a wildfire burning in beetle-killed trees.

He said he looked off in the distance, saw the smoke, and tried to head back away from the fire but was turned away at the highway.

The largest of the blazes as of Saturday was the Alamo fire in San Luis Obispo County, which exploded from 6,000 acres Saturday morning to more than 19,000 acres by late afternoon.

The blaze started about 1:40 p.m. Saturday near Camp Whittier, at 2400 Highway 154, and may have been sparked by a vehicle fire, according to the California Highway Patrol.