CA firefighters struggle to gain control of wildfires

(8 Sep 2022)
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4396305
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Placer County, California - 7 September 2022
1. Firefighter spraying water on flames near trees
2. Various of fire burning along Michigan Bluff Rd
3. Shot of burning tree
ANNOTATION: Firefighters struggled to control major California wildfires that have grown explosively and forced extensive evacuations amid a searing heat wave.
4. Shot of fire truck with flames and smoke around it
5. Shot of burning trees
ANNOTATION: The Mosquito Fire burned structures and cars near the Gold Rush-era community of Michigan Bluff about an hour northwest of Sacramento.
6. Destroyed building
7. Smoke rising from mountainside
8. Burnt car
9. Smoke rising from behind US flag
ANNOTATION: Wildfire smoke and the cloud cover created uncertainty about solar power production in afternoon hours when temperatures rise toward their peaks.
10. Mid of fire truck with fire around it
11. Wide of fire and firetruck with firefighters walking
ANNOTATION: The prolonged heat wave was expected to abruptly end in parts of the state by the weekend as remnants of the current Hurricane Kay arrive.
12. Trees burning
13. Mid of trees burning and a firefighter shooting water at the fire
STORYLINE:
Firefighters struggled Thursday to gain control of major California wildfires that have grown explosively and forced extensive evacuations amid a searing heat wave.
The deadly and destructive Fairview Fire in Southern California expanded in two directions on Wednesday, covering more than 30 square miles (78 square kilometers) of Riverside County. It was just 5% contained.
In the Sierra Nevada, the Mosquito Fire had scorched nearly 9 square miles (23 square kilometers), forcing evacuations in Placer and El Dorado counties.
"As you've seen with the smoke column coming up, this fire continues to give us a hard time," Cal Fire Division Chief Mike Rufenacht said in a video briefing.
Another dangerous blaze burned near the Big Bear Lake resort region in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles. It was just 2% contained after scorching nearly 2 square miles (5 square kilometers).
The prolonged heat wave was expected to abruptly end, in Southern California at least, by the weekend as remnants of the current Hurricane Kay arrive, bringing rain.
Kay was off southern Baja California early Thursday but some showers and thunderstorms associated with the hurricane were already reaching Southern California.
The Fairview Fire erupted Monday amid triple-digit heat and spread swiftly, killing two people who were found in a vehicle, severely burning another person while destroying seven structures and damaging several others.
The cause of the fire was under investigation. Southern California Edison notified the California Public Utilities Commission that "circuit activity" occurred close in time to when the fire was reported, the Los Angeles Times said. The activity was not specified.
The Mosquito Fire burned several structures and at least 10 cars near the Gold Rush-era community of Michigan Bluff about an hour northwest of Sacramento.
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