Flames racing through dry brush have destroyed at least four homes and forced more than 1000 people to flee a northern California lake community that was evacuated in a devastating wildfire last year.
Authorities ordered about 1200 residents to leave 500 homes on Sunday as the blaze surged east of the town of Lower Lake. The wildfire spread and crews faced hot weather and little cloud cover as they tried to get a handle on the flames burning largely out of control.
"The fire activity could change in a moment's notice right now," said Suzie Blankenship, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
More evacuations were ordered on Sunday afternoon in the Copsey Creek subdivision, northeast of Lower Lake, where the blaze jumped a containment line, setting several houses on fire and prompting firefighters and volunteers to evacuate horses, goats and other animals as homes burn around them.
Houses burned on both sides of Highway 140 and propane tanks exploded, making a hissing noise and spewing balls of fire. Firefighters and volunteers rushed to carry two goats at a time out of the area, as tractors and utility poles burned and bumpers melted off cars.
More than 700 firefighters are battling the wildfire burning east of Highway 29 in Lake County, and many more are expected to join the fight throughout the day, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said.
The fire was throwing embers and spreading rapidly because of parched conditions brought on by the state's historic drought, officials said.
Large, explosive fires have torn through dried-out or hard-to-reach areas across California this summer, including a stubborn blaze near the picturesque Big Sur coastline that has burned 46 hectares since late July and destroyed nearly 60 homes.
Californians braced for heat on Sunday, with high temperatures expected to soar 10 degrees above normal in the southern part of the state. Some counties in far Northern California also were warned of gusty winds and increased fire danger, officials said.
