California wildfires

Homeowner Phil Rush is confronted by the remains of his home that was destroyed by wildfire in Santa Rosa, Calif. He says he and his wife and dog escaped with only their medication and a bag of dog food when flames overtook their neighborhood.

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California Wildfires Have Now Killed At Least 21 People; More High Winds Forecast

3:40pm October 11, 2017

by Bill Chappell

"Make no mistake," Cal Fire Director Ken Pimlott said in an update around midday Wednesday. "This is a serious, critical, catastrophic event." High winds are predicted to return Wednesday night.

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A firefighting helicopter flies over burned hills during the La Tuna fire in Los Angeles, California on Sunday.

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Showers Aid Firefighters Hoping To Contain California Wildfire

11:10am September 04, 2017

by Scott Neuman

The La Tuna fire near Los Angeles — one of several burning in California, Montana and Oregon — is one-third contained. But firefighters warn there is still much to be done to bring it under control.

Firefighters try to keep a wildfire from jumping a street near Oroville, Calif., on Saturday. Evening winds drove the fire through several neighborhoods, leveling homes in its path.

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Large Wildfires Force Evacuations In California; 5,000 Firefighters Deployed

5:59pm July 09, 2017

by Bill Chappell

One blaze forced people to flee cabins in the Los Padres National Forest and briefly stranded some 90 children and 50 counselors near a lake.

Giant sequoias in the Sierra Nevada range can grow to be 250 feet tall — or more.

How Is A 1,600-Year-Old Tree Weathering California's Drought?

4:31pm October 27, 2016

by Christopher Joyce

Four years of too little water is killing millions of trees in the Sierra, yet some giant sequoias still thrive. Tree-climbing scientists are exploring sequoias branch by branch to find their secret.

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An inmate firefighter examines a burning structure while battling the Loma fire near Morgan Hill, Calif., on Wednesday.

After Record Heat, California Fires Burn Into The Fall

11:20am October 02, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

A wildfire near San Jose, Calif. has destroyed a dozen homes, and threatens more than 150 structures. Meanwhile, the massive Soberanes fire is still burning two months after it began.

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California Firefighters Contain Blue Cut Fire, Grapple With Other Blazes

6:06pm August 23, 2016

by Jason Slotkin

Crews surrounded the San Bernardino County fire Tuesday. Meanwhile, multiple wildfires continue to bedevil crews, including one near a historic estate built by William Randolph Hearst.

A firestorm engulfs the Mormon Rocks area in the San Bernardino National Forest off State Highway 138 in Phelan, Calif., as the Bluecut Fire rages out of control Tuesday afternoon.

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Out-Of-Control Southern California Brush Fire Forces 80,000 To Evacuate

5:40pm August 17, 2016

by Kirk Siegler

The Bluecut Fire east of Los Angeles has burned 15,000 acres and shut down Interstate 15, which links Los Angeles with Las Vegas and points north.

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James McCauley looks over the burned-out remains of his residence in the town of Lower Lake, Calif.

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Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Setting Northern California Wildfires

10:14am August 16, 2016

by Mark Katkov

Damin Pashilk, 40, is accused of 17 counts of arson in Lake County, Calif., over the past year. The Clayton fire so far has burned more than 4,000 acres and destroyed more than 175 structures.

A car destroyed by the Soberanes fire in Big Sur, Calif. Lodge managers and cafe owners there are facing cancelled bookings after fire officials warned that crews will likely be battling the fire for another month.

Thousands Of Firefighters Battle Massive Big Sur Blaze

2:34pm July 31, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

After more than a week, a 38,000-acre wildfire on the California coast is still growing, and authorities warn it could burn through August even after it is contained.

Tank, a pet 75-pound tortoise, survived the Los Angeles Sand Fire after his owner were forced to leave him behind.

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Tortoise Wins Again: Slow And Steady Pace Outruns L.A. Fire

1:51pm July 27, 2016

by Bill Chappell

An animal control agency got a call from the sheriff's department about "a tortoise that was running down the street, and away from the fire zone."