Fire in central California has burned 17 square miles
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A wildfire burning in central California tripled in size Monday, forcing more people from their homes as firefighters battle the day-old blaze burning in steep areas with heavy brush and tall grass.
The fire, burning near Lake McClure, a reservoir about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Modesto, has scorched 17 square miles (44 square kilometers) since it broke out Sunday afternoon, said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Officials have ordered evacuations for an unknown number of homes. The fire has destroyed one home and damaged another.
No one has been reported injured.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
In Northern California, a 900-acre wildfire in Mendocino County has also triggered an evacuation of homes. That fire is 25 percent contained.
To the south, crews are struggling to surround a 28-square-mile (72-square-kilometer) blaze burning for more than a week in the mountains of Santa Barbara Count
