POLLOCK PINES (AP) — Crews scrambled Monday to extend control lines around a massive Northern California wildfire threatening thousands of homes as they braced for strong, erratic winds similar to when the blaze doubled in size a week ago.
The King Fire east of Sacramento had burned through 137 square miles, an increase of about 9 square miles overnight despite crews making some progress Sunday in cooler and slightly wet conditions.
But expected warmer temperatures, low humidity and winds of up to 30 mph could increase fire activity, state fire spokesman Capt. Tom Piranio said.
“This could set up some potential fire growth similar to what we experienced when it grew exponentially last week,” Piranio said. “We are working very aggressively to maintain the contingency lines.”
Last week, the blaze grew to 111 square miles overnight when winds surged to more than 25 mph, the state forestry and fire protection department reported. More than 5,000 firefighters — from as far as Florida and Alaska — have worked around the clock to increase the fire containment from 10 to 18 percent by Monday.
However, a red flag warning has been issued for Tuesday as gusty winds could reach up to 35 mph by Wednesday, said Holly Osbourne, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Sacramento.
“It’s definitely going to pose a challenge to the control lines the firefighters have created,” said Osbourne, adding that there’s also a slight chance for rain Thursday.
The wildfire which started on Sept. 13 continues to threaten about 21,000 structures, more than half of them homes. It has destroyed 10 homes and 22 outbuildings in the White Meadows area of Pollock Pines, according to preliminary figures released Sunday.
About 100 evacuees were allowed to return home, but some 2,700 remain under evacuation orders, state fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said. The fire also continued to threaten a key University of California, Berkeley research station that is home to scores of experiments on trees, plants and other wildlife.
On Sunday, poor air quality forced a last-minute cancellation of two popular Ironman events in nearby Lake Tahoe, disappointing about 3,000 athletes who signed up for the competition, Ironman operations manager Keats McGonigal said.
A man charged with starting the fire, Wayne Allen Huntsman, 37, pleaded not guilty to arson Friday. He remains in the El Dorado County jail on $10 million bail.
