Wildfires

Wildfires - California, USA

Authorities on Wednesday arrested a man suspected of starting an illegal campfire believed to have ignited a growing Northern California blaze that destroyed 10 homes, damaged five others and threatened hundreds more.

The wildfire sparked Tuesday near the town of Oroville, a region already hard-hit by fire and a massive evacuation earlier this year caused by damage to sections of the nation’s tallest dam.

It’s one of many wildfires burning across the U.S. West, including blazes in and around California’s Yosemite National Park that have closed a popular road into the park, shuttered the iconic Wawona Hotel and evacuated nearby towns. Some 58 homes near the park have been destroyed.

Wildfires - Oregon, USA

Wildfires in Oregon are burning an area roughly equivalent to half the state of Rhode Island.

The two dozen blazes around the state Wednesday are affecting air quality and have forced the evacuations of more than 4,500 people.

The largest fire is near the coastal town of Brookings near the California border. That 196-square-mile (508-square-kilometer) blaze is 5 percent contained and 4,568 people have fled their homes.