Thousands flee as fire threat grows

Tens of thousands of people fled mountain communities in southern California as frantic residents raced to avoid the state’s deadliest wildfires in more than a decade.

Frustrated firefighters said there was little they could do to stop the flames, and exhausted crews in San Diego County were pulled back yesterday even though two devastating blazes began merging into a super fire near Julian, a mountain town of 3,500 known for its apple crop.