Third major US wildfire threatens homes

A third major US wildfire near the Angeles National Forest has spread to more than 8,000 acres, threatening hundreds of homes on the edge of the Mojave Desert.

It is the third large fire in or around the forest north of Los Angeles and the latest in a series of blazes that have raged across California unusually early in the year.

“What we’re experiencing here in Southern California is pretty much unprecedented,” said Jody Noiron, forest supervisor for the Angeles National Forest, yesterday.

Six hundred homes were evacuated, county Fire Chief Michael Freeman said. Two homes and a bridge were destroyed on Tuesday.

Officials said the fire was just 20% contained after spreading across more than 8,000 acres in less than 24 hours.

More than 2,300 firefighters battled the blaze in dry brush and timber about 50 miles north of Los Angeles, county fire captain Anthony Penn said.

The fire, propelled by winds gusting up to 25 mph, was moving toward an area of scattered homes in three desert communities.

Hot, dry weather has helped spread a series of southern California fires in the past week.

Threatened communities have so far avoided the large-scale loss of homes that occurred during wildfires last autumn, but officials warned that the fire season is young.

Elsewhere, a 6,000-acre fire near Santa Clarita was 95% contained, as was a 17,418-acre fire near Lake Hughes that destroyed three homes and a dozen outbuildings. All evacuees had been allowed to return home.

Crews in Alaska were battling a 484,000-acre fire on the outskirts of Fairbanks. Heavy smoke hampered efforts to use aeroplanes to douse the flames and conditions were not expected to improve this week. The blaze was considered 20% contained.

Wildfires already have burned 3.6 million acres in Alaska, which has been having one of its worst seasons in years.