The latest from the California fires

Crews continue to fight to 

save homes in Southern 

California as the so-called 

Holy Fire spreads.

Weather.com

11 August, 2018

On Friday, California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for areas impacted by the aggressive wildfire burning south of Los Angeles.

The emergency declaration was issued Thursday for Orange and Riverside counties. The inferno in the Cleveland National Forest has chased some 20,000 residents from their homes, and others were urged, though not required, to evacuate.

One home and 12 cabins have been destroyed and others remain threatened. 

The owner of the home destroyed by the fire, Dan Pritchard, told KNBC-TV that he and his brother stayed until a wall of flames roared near, AP reports.

"I turned to him and said, 'Let's go,'" Pritchett said. "(There were) 100-foot flames right on the crest of the hill, right in front of me."

(PHOTOS: California Wildfire Damage, as Seen from the Air)

The fire, which began on Monday, has grown to 33 square miles and is 29 percent contained as of Saturday, according to CalFire. Gusty winds and triple-digit heat have complicated the firefighting efforts.

"These conditions will increase the likelihood of extreme fire behavior as well," said the U.S. Forest Service.

On Wednesday, officials announced that Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, was arrested and accused of arson in connection with the fire.

In total, more than 1,000 square miles of land have been burned during the recent California wildfire siege, according to Cal Fire officials, and more than 30,000 firefighters are currently deployed to fight 20 active infernos in the state.

EIGHTH DEATH CONFIRMED IN CARR FIRE

Fire officials on Thursday confirmed another death in the so-called Carr Fire that destroyed more than 1,000 homes in just a few days' time.

Andrew Brake, 40, died in a single-car accident on his way to work on the fire as a heavy equipment mechanic. He was a six-year Cal Fire veteran.

He became the eighth person to be killed by the Carr Fire, which has burned for more than two weeks in and around Redding, California.

The Carr Fire is now the sixth most destructive wildfire in state history, according to Cal Fire records. It's also the 13th-deadliest and 10th-largest wildfire the Golden State has seen since records began.

The wildfire has destroyed nearly 1,600 structures, 1,077 of which are homes. More than 500 structures are still threatened by the blaze.

The inferno reportedly started when a tire blew on a tractor-trailer, which caused a spark as the rim of the tire struck the asphalt, CNN said.

The inferno was 55 percent contained as of Saturday, according to Cal Fire. It has burned at least 291 square miles of land, an area larger than the city of Chicago. More than 38,000 people were forced to evacuate because of the fire, the Associated Press reported.

MENDOCINO COMPLEX FIRE EXPECTED TO BURN UNTIL SEPTEMBER

Firefighters say they have made good progress battling California's largest-ever wildfire, but they don't expect to have it fully under control until September.

The Mendocino Complex Fire, north of San Francisco, has grown to nearly the size of Houston since it started two weeks ago. More than 508 square miles have burned, and the fire was 67 percent contained as of Saturday.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jonathan Cox told the AP the area has few natural barriers to slow flames and terrain that firefighters can't get to. So firefighters fall back to the nearest road, ridge or river, where they bulldoze a wide line and wait for the flames to come to them.

(MORE: Six of California's 10 Most Destructive Fires Have Come in the Last 10 Months)

The fire, which has torched land in Mendocino, Colusa and Lake counties, has destroyed at least 119 homes and 110 other structures. Some 9,200 buildings are still threatened, Cal Fire said.

Monday, night, the fire's size surpassed last December's Thomas Fire, which burned more than 440 square miles in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, claiming more than 1,000 structures and one life.

Nearly 20,000 people were ordered to evacuate in Lake and Mendocino counties as the blazes encroached on several towns surrounding Clear Lake. Evacuations were expanded in neighboring Glenn and Colusa counties, including an area just east of the boundary of Mendocino National Forest.

Authorities are investigating what caused the fires.

Holy Fire California: SHOCK footage of rivers of fire snaking down hillside towards town

AN AERIAL footage of the Holy Fire in California shows rivers of fire dangerously close to residents' houses as firefighters have been struggling to extinguish several wildfires around the state for weeks.

Daily Express,

10 August, 2018

The video shows trails of fire quickly moving down towards residents' houses in Lake Elsinore, California, USA. 

Firefighters have been battling the intentionally started wildfire in southern California to prevent it from spreading further as 200,000 residents face mandatory evacuations.

The Holy Fire is one of several burning fires across the state. More than 20,000 people have already been displaced by the blaze.

he blaze started on Monday afternoon near the Riverside and Orange County border in Cleveland National Forest.

The fire has destroyed a dozen cabins in the Holy Jim Canyon area of the Cleveland National Forest.

Flames spread downhill toward Lake Elsinore on Thursday afternoon, threatening homes and prompting mandatory evacuation orders for homes fronting the mountains.

The fire is believed to have been intentionally set.

holy fire california wildfire update holy fire map.

The Holy fire increased in size near the Horsethief Canyon area on Wednesday and then jumped the North Main Divide dirt road, burning into the Lake Elsinore area of Riverside County.

Thanh Nguyen, a spokesman for the fire crews said: “Our main focus this afternoon was getting everyone out safely.”

It remains only five percent contained according to the National Forest.

"Firefighters continue to battle the blaze around the clock," the National Forest said in a tweet.

"We expect favourable weather conditions this weekend to help these efforts."

Wildfire season in California has broken records this year, with the previous largest fire - Thomas Fire - being overtaken by the Mendocino Complex Fire.

The Mendocino Complex Fire has now grown larger than the city of Los Angeles, measuring at least 302,086 acres.

The huge size of the Mendocino fire has led to the announcement that fire crews will be unable to fully contain the blaze until early September