Hundreds flee as wildfires rage in California drought

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September 17, 2014

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Hundreds flee as wildfires rage in California drought

Source: Agencies | September 17, 2014, Wednesday |

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CREWS were battling about a dozen major wildfires across California yesterday that have forced thousands of people to flee, damaged or destroyed more than 100 buildings, and charred thousands of acres of drought-stricken forest.

Three years of drought in the most populous US state has forced farmers to let fields lie fallow and left communities reliant on well water, with bone-dry brush fueling wildfires in temperatures of more than 38 degrees Celsius.

This year’s wildfire season, which typically runs from May to October, was on track to be the most destructive on record, according the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

About 350 acres in the north of the state have been burned, more than 100 buildings have been destroyed or damaged and more than 1,000 people have been forced from their homes in three small communities near Interstate 5 and US 97, Cal Fire said. The fire was only 15 percent contained.

More than 1,000 firefighters were battling the 8,600-acre blaze in dense forest and steep terrain in El Dorado County. Nearly 250 homes were under a mandatory evacuation order, while residents of another 400 houses were advised they could voluntarily leave.

Further south, about 320 acres east of Yosemite have burned since wildfires started on Sunday and more than 30 homes were burnt.

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Hundreds flee as wildfires rage in California drought

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