Wildfires

Wildfires - California

There’s been little time to celebrate the nation’s birthday this Fourth of July weekend for thousands of firefighters battling a string of wildfires that stretches from near the Mexican border in the south to near the Oregon border in the north.

Here’s a rundown of the five largest being fought as of Saturday morning:

• A fire near Monticello Dam in Yolo County, west of the town of Winters off Highway 128 had charred over 150 acres by Friday night.

• In Napa County, firefighters had a fire in Butts Canyon that had burned more than 4,300 acres about 65 percent contained by nightfall Friday. It had burned two homes to the ground along with seven outbuildings. Some 1,755 firefighters are assigned to this one fire alone. Difficult terrain has continued to be a problem for firefighters.

• In Kern County, a fire is burning east of Lake Isabella. The mountainous area is described as one of extremely steep terrain with difficult access and which is “very hazardous to firefighters.” Nearly 800 firefighters are trying to contain the fire before it can threaten either the community of Alta Sierra or the Shirley Peak Ski Area.

• Near Alturas, five different fires have burned over 9,300 acres of land. “The fire is threatening several private ranches, range lands, critical sage grouse habitat and significant cultural resources,” says the Bureau of Land Management. The fires were started by a lightning storm.

• In San Diego County, east of Julian, a 217-acre fire threatened buildings, especially summer homes in the community of Whispering Pines, until firefighters turned it back with 70 percent containment by Friday night. But two homes have been destroyed by the fire.

Wildfires - Northern Territories, Canada

The Northwest Territories are getting some help from BC as it deals with over 100 wildfires.

The BC Wildfire Branch is sending 11 people up north to join an air tanker group deployed earlier this week.

There are roughly 141 wildfires in the Northwest Territories, which have burned over 361,000 hectares.