Containment grows around Gold and Hog fires

ADIN, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters increased containment of large wildfires in rural northeastern California on Wednesday.

The 34-square-mile (88-square-kilometer) Gold Fire in northern Lassen County was 70% surrounded after eight days, Cal Fire said, but cautioned that critical fire weather was expected for the rest of the week.

All evacuation orders and warnings in the area, south of the small Modoc County community of Adin, were lifted.

In southern Lassen County, the 15-square-mile Hog Fire west of the town of Susanville was 75% contained on its 10th day. Several areas remained under evacuation warnings.

Overlapping the borders of Modoc and Siskiyou counties, a group of fires called the July Complex was 45% contained after scorching a cumulative 127 square miles (329 square kilometers). One area remained under evacuation orders.

Ignited by lightning beginning on July 22, the complex was expected to be fully contained on Aug. 22.

In the southern half of the state, a nearly 5-square-mile (13-square-kilometer) fire in eastern San Luis Obispo County was 50% contained. The Branch Fire burned two unspecified structures and 10 outbuildings, Cal Fire said.

All contents © copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.