Lightning Touches Off Two New Calif. Wildfires
Source The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Aug. 18--A lightning storm early Saturday touched off two fires in rugged terrain northeast of Covelo that together consumed 360 acres by nightfall and were spreading rapidly.
The fires, one of 350 acres and the other 10 acres, began at 2:47 a.m. in an area of heavy timber that is difficult to reach with ground crews, fire officials said.
They being fought by 255 firefighters from Cal Fire, Covelo Fire Department, the USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, California Department of Corrections and the California National Guard.
The effort included 13 fire engines, four bulldozers, two air tankers and two helicopters.
The smaller of the two fires is holding at 10 acres, but fire officials said that the hot, dry and windy weather is expected to cause the 350-acre fire to continue to spread rapidly.
The fires are in Williams Valley 10 miles northeast of Covelo and were 10 percent contained Saturday night.
Copyright 2012 - The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, Calif.
