Crews Battle King Fire's Explosive Growth Threatening 500 Homes
POLLUCK PINES (CBS SF) -- Just days after a wildfire tore through the small Northern California town of Weed and destroyed scores of homes, crews on Wednesday battled another fast-moving blaze in the region that was also threatening residences.
Hundreds of additional firefighters were dispatched to the fire near the town of Pollock Pines, about 60 miles east of Sacramento, bringing the number fighting the blaze to more than 2,500 personnel. That was an increase of about 1,000 from the previous day.
Mandatory evacuations are in effect for 2,150 residents, according to CalFire officials. Highway 50 is also closed in both directions from Sly Park to Fresh Pond.
The fire grew to nearly 19,000 acres overnight and had burned through nearly 29 square miles. It was threatening over 2,400 structures, 500 homes of those homes, and was just 5 percent contained.
MORE: Complete Coverage Of California Wildfires
Meanwhile, further north, crews were building and strengthening containment lines around a fire that tore through the town of Weed near the Oregon border on Monday. The blaze damaged or destroyed more than 150 structures and also struck a blow at the economic vitals of the struggling timber town, knocking its last wood products mill offline for an undetermined amount of time.
With a maintenance shed reduced to twisted sheet-metal and the main manufacturing facility suffering structural damage, the Roseburg Forest Products veneer mill on the outskirts of Weed was out of commission while workers began assessing the damage, said Kellye Wise, vice president for human resources of the company based in Dillard, Oregon. The company hoped to have a better idea of when the mill could reopen by next week.
Fire crews took advantage of calmer winds and firefighting aircraft Tuesday, gaining control in and around Weed. But flames still threatened other parts of California.
In Oakhurst, a foothill community south of Yosemite National Park, a 320-acre fire that damaged or destroyed 71 structures — 37 of them homes — was 60 percent contained. About 600 residents from 200 homes remained evacuated, Madera County sheriff's spokeswoman Erica Stuart said.
More than 4,000 wildfires have burned in California this year.
TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. And its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
