Hundreds of firefighters are battling a rapidly-spreading wildfire raging unchecked in drought-stricken Southern California after flames forced more than 80,000 residents to flee. The 28-square-mile inferno engulfed canyons and spread to ridges in all directions with astonishing speed, sending flames 80 feet into the sky.
Flames from the Bluecut fire leap around electricity pylons near San BernardinoRingo Chiu/AFP
The Bluecut fire erupted in dry brush just west of Interstate 15, the main highway between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area, forcing the closure of one stretch. Two firefighters were trapped by flames in the effort to evacuate residents and protect homes, but managed to escape with only minor injuries. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
About 700 firefighters are battling to control the blaze in an area called the Cajon Pass, the latest in a series of wildfires that have razed nearly 500 square miles (1,200 sq km) of the parched US West.
An air tanker drops fire retardant on the Bluecut wildfire in Lytle Creek, CaliforniaRingo Chiu/AFPFlames rage around vehicles and homes near San BernardinoRingo Chiu/AFPEmbers glows as trees are consumed by the Bluecut fireRingo Chiu/AFPFlames erupt next to a car near Cajon Pass, north of San BernardinoRingo Chiu/AFPFirefighters cut a fence in order to clear a path away from the Bluecut fireRingo Chiu/AFPA tree is silhouetted against a burning building near San BaernardinoRingo Chiu/AFPA firefighter talks on the radio as the Bluecut wildfire burns near Cajon Pass, north of San BernardinoRingo Chiu/AFPPeople watch the so-called Blue Cut wildfire in Lytle Creek, CaliforniaRingo Chiu/AFPPeople evacuate their horses as smoke fills the skies during the Bluecut Fire in the San Bernardino National ForestGene Blevins/ReutersA lone tree stands in a charred landscape after the Bluecut Fire burned through in the San Bernardino National ForestGene Blevins/Reuters
More than 600 miles (970 km) to the northwest, crews have had some success in the battle against a northern California wildfire that has destroyed more than 175 homes and businesses in and around the community of Lower Lake.
Lower Lake is home to about 1,300 mostly working class people and retirees who are drawn by its rustic charm and property prices that are lower than the San Francisco Bay Area. Firefighters could not protect all of historic Main Street and flames consumed a winery, an antiques store, old firehouse and the Habitat for Humanity office.
The fire in Lower Lake reduced businesses to little more than charred foundations. All that remained of many homes was burnt patio furniture and appliances, and the charred remnants of cars leaking molten metal onto driveways.
A house near Lower Lake is destroyed by the Clayton fireStephen Lam/ReutersFirefighters spray water into a damaged building while battling the Clayton fire in Lower LakeStephen Lam/ReutersA firefighter moves a mannequin head inside a burning home while battling the Clayton fireStephen Lam/ReutersA photographer helps a motorcyclist after he drove into a section of wires on a road outside Lower LakeStephen Lam/ReutersA firefighter with the Elk Mountain Hotshots listens to instructions before cutting down charred trees in Lower LakeGabrielle Lurie/AFPAn injured kitten is tended to by Cal Fire's San Mateo-Santa Cruz battalion chief Aldo Gonzales during the Clayton fire in Lower LakeStephen Lam/ReutersLower Lake resident Linda Cifelli, displaced from her home, kisses a rescued kitten as she waits to be allowed back into her homeGabrielle Lurie/AFPDaniel Brown checks his iguana is alive as he enters his house for the first time after the Clayton fire devastated Lower LakeGabrielle Lurie/AFPA melted thermometer stuck at 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43C) hangs on a wall at Daniel Brown's fire-damaged home in Lower LakeGabrielle Lurie/AFPThe remains of the historic Lower Lake Firehouse is pictured on Lake Street in Lower Lake, CaliforniaGabrielle Lurie/AFPThe charred remnants of the Tuscan Village Winery are pictured after the Clayton fire swept through Lower LakeGabrielle Lurie/AFPThe interior of a house destroyed by the Clayton fire is pictured off Main Street in Lower LakeGabrielle Lurie/AFPA fire-damaged swimming pool is surrounded by charred homes and vehicles after the Clayton fire swept through Lower Lake, CaliforniaGabrielle Lurie/AFPFirefighters work to contain embers at a candle factory destroyed in the Clayton fire in Lower LakeGabrielle Lurie/AFPMolten metal is seen next to a car burned by the Clayton fire in Lower LakeStephen Lam/ReutersCharred animal remains are seen at a property ravaged by the Clayton fire in Lower LakeStephen Lam/ReutersMelted bins are seen outside a home in Lower Lake after the Clayton fire swept through the areaStephen Lam/ReutersA fire-damaged forklift stands in the middle of a destroyed property in Lower LakeStephen Lam/ReutersThe charred frame of a wheelchair can be seen after the Clayton fire destroyed a house in Lower LakeGabrielle Lurie/AFPThe burnt-out shells of cars are seen outside a fire-ravaged property in Lower LakeGabrielle Lurie/AFPA deer statuette stands amid the remains of a home in Lower Lake that was destroyed by the Clayton fireStephen Lam/ReutersA charred welcome mat can be seen in the remnants of a home in Lower Lake that was destroyed by the Clayton FireGabrielle Lurie/AFPAn engraved stone is one of the only things remaining from a house that was destroyed in the Clayton fire in Lower LakeGabrielle Lurie/AFPA decapitated garden statue stands in front of a home destroyed in the Clayton fire in Lower LakeGabrielle Lurie/AFPA DC-10 fire fighting aircraft sprays fire retardant on a wooded area north of Lower LakeStephen Lam/ReutersA sign on Main Street in Lower Lake is covered in fire retardant after the Clayton fire ravaged the centre of the Californian townGabrielle Lurie/AFPA marijuana plant is covered in flame retardant in Lower Lake, CaliforniaGabrielle Lurie/AFP
Damin Pashilk, a 40-year-old man arrested on suspicion of starting the blaze, and 16 others in the area over the past year, is set to appear in court on Wednesday (17 August). Investigators said they had been building a case against the suspected arsonist for more than a year, but they did not have enough evidence to make an arrest until the blaze ripped through Lower Lake.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Director Ken Pimlott said the blaze in the town of Lower Lake has caused over $10 million (£7.65m) in damages and left dozens of families homeless. "Mr. Pashilk committed a horrific crime and we will seek prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. My thoughts continue to be with the people of Lake County during this difficult time," Pimlott said.
A police booking photo of construction worker Damin Anthony Pashilk, 40, who was arrested on 17 counts of arson, including starting the Clayton fireStephen Lam/ReutersDisplaced Lower Lake resident LaDonna Hart reacts to the arrest announcement of arson suspect Damin Anthony PashilkStephen Lam/Reuters
A five-year drought has sapped vegetation of moisture but in wetter times, the region was not plagued by the kind of wildfires that now ravage it. California has been devastated by weeks of major fires around the state, even though the full force of fire season has yet to arrive.
One of the season's largest fires so far, the Soberanes blaze, was 60% contained by Monday (15 August). It burned through tinder-dry forest near scenic Big Sur, destroying 57 homes. A bulldozer operator died on 26 July when his tractor rolled over as he helped property owners battle the flames, this year's sixth wildfire fatality in California.
