California blazes threaten populated area

Authorities battling massive wildfires in large swathes of California issued mandatory evacuation orders and health warnings over the worsening air quality as the flames grew ever closer to populated areas.

After almost a month of wildfires, the National Weather Service warned that satellite images showed "widespread smoke" drifting from the fires into western and central Canada before heading back south in the US Northern Plains.

The Kaibab National Forest service in neighbouring Arizona warned that "wildfires across the West are creating regional haze." But it was northern California where most air quality alerts were being issued, with warnings of "unhealthy conditions" for vulnerable groups such as the very young and old.

The Mendocino Complex, made of two separate blazes, has been declared the most destructive fire in the state's history.

Its largest blaze, the Ranch Fire, was only 53 percent contained compared to 87 percent for its twin River Fire.

Further north, the Carr Fire was declared 51 per cent under control, after scorching 180,000 acres (73,000 hectares) of land and claiming the lives of three firefighters and five civilians, making it California's third deadliest fire ever.

More than 14,000 firefighters, including reinforcements from as far away as Australia and New Zealand, have fanned out across the state to stop the multitude of infernos.

Some inmates even assisted in the effort. The Miramonte jail camp made a fire line to stop the advancing Holy Fire from consuming homes in the area.

"Oh man, it's hard, but we make it look easy," said one of the inmates, Michael Henson. "Man, you know, we (are) just trying to get the job done. You know, us firefighters help protect the community."
Mike Milligan, the local volunteer fire chief who owns a cabin near Clark's, told The Orange County Register that Clark had long-running feuds with neighbours in the area. Milligan said that Clark had recently sent him an email warning, "this place will burn."