Northern California fire burns 50 square miles in 3 weeks
The fire forced more 13,000 residents to evacuate and ultimately destroyed 43 homes and 53 outbuildings, authorities said. As the fire grew rapidly, campers, hikers and residents sought safer ground.
The fire was only 3% contained as of Wednesday evening. “Please help us mobilize the Christian community around the country to pray”, says Dathan Brown, Executive Director. “It’s the people involved”. “It was their calling, but the loss for their families is enormous, and I know the community will come together to support them”, Inslee said.
“We are trusting God, and we are asking you to pray”.
In its Friday morning update, the Forest Service said 1,605 firefighters were now battling the Rough fire, which was sparked July 31 by a lightning strike on a steep mountainside in Kings Canyon five miles north of Hume Lake.
Wildfires throughout California have kept more than 11,000 firefighters on front lines for weeks.
Temperatures are expected to cool to more normal seasonal levels starting today in Southern California, but high winds will continue to threaten the spread of blazes.
A wildfire on the eastern outskirts of the San Francisco Bay Area scorched almost 4 square miles of dry brush near Livermore by Thursday after burning down at least one unoccupied home in the rural area the day before. His department ordered the evacuation late Tuesday afternoon. It was two-thirds contained.
Anyone who may have seen a vehicle driving northbound on the Cuesta or Nojoqui grades with an obvious mechanical issue or dragging a chain between 5:30 and 6:40 p.m. on August 16 is urged to call the Cal Fire Arson Hotline at 1-800-468-4408.