California wildfire threatens 12,000 homes

A MASSIVE wildfire raging in California nearly doubled in size early yesterday, threatening 12,000 homes in a 30-kilometre swathe of flame and smoke and surging towards a mountaintop broadcasting complex.

At least 6,600 homes were under mandatory evacuation orders and more than 2,500 firefighters were battling the flames.

On the blaze’s north-western front, two firefighters were killed on Sunday when they drove off the side of a road on Mount Gleason, near the city of Acton.