The Latest: New wildfire brings destruction outside San Jose

The Latest: New wildfire brings destruction outside San Jose


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OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on wildfires across the U.S. West and Canada (all times local):

6:45 p.m.

Another California wildfire has broken out east of San Jose.

City of San Jose spokeswoman Cheryl Wessling says two homes have been destroyed by the fast-moving fire in the hills outside San Jose.

Wessling says the San Jose Fire Department and state firefighters are battling the blaze near Alum Rock Park, where visitors and nearby residents are being evacuated.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman Pam Temmermand tells the Mercury News the fire has burned at least 20 acres.

To the south in rural San Diego County, a wildfire has driven 15 families for their homes, but firefighters have stopped its progress.

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5 p.m.

Two new fires are surging and forcing evacuations in California.

A blaze that broke out in San Diego County about 2 p.m. Tuesday quickly surged to over half a square mile (1.5 square kilometers). It forced the closure of Interstate 8 and the evacuation of five homes in Alpine, a town of 15,000 people about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of San Diego.

In Northern California, the Placer County Sheriff's Office has issued mandatory evacuations along four roads near a 2-acre fire burning north of Auburn.

Sacramento television station KCRA (http://bit.ly/2val0bv) reports video shot from its helicopter shows at least one structure has been destroyed by the fire.

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9:55 a.m.

Authorities say a wildfire burning near Oroville in Northern California has destroyed at least three dozen homes.

The numbers released Tuesday come after fire crews surveyed the destruction of the blaze burning in the grassy foothills of the Sierra Nevada, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Sacramento.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says at least 4,000 people are under evacuation orders. Some residents have returned home.

The blaze has burned nearly 9 square miles (23 square kilometers) and was 45 percent contained.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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7:45 a.m.

Containment is up on three major California wildfires that have burned dozens of structures and forced thousands of residents to evacuate.

The larger of two blazes in Santa Barbara County has scorched more than 45 square miles (116 square kilometers) of dry brush and is still threatening more than 130 homes. The fire is 45 percent contained Tuesday.

To the south a 17-square-mile (44-square-kilometer) wildfire is 25 percent contained.

At least 3,500 people remain out of their homes in Santa Barbara County. Fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni said early Tuesday that rising humidity is now helping firefighters after a weekend heat wave fanned the flames.

In Northern California, some evacuees started to return home late Monday as firefighters made progress against a foothill blaze near Oroville in Butte County.

The blaze has burned nearly 9 square miles (23 square kilometers) of grass, injured four firefighters and destroyed at least 37 structures. It's 45 percent contained.

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6:30 a.m.

California crews working through the night got help from rising humidity and low winds as they beat back wildfires that burned dozens of structures and forced thousands from homes.

In Santa Barbara County, where two large blazes are burning through dry brush, fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni said early Tuesday that the weather is now cooperating with firefighters after a weekend heat wave helped fan the flames.

Zaniboni says he expects containment to go up when new numbers are announced at a morning briefing.

At least 3,500 people remain out of their homes in Santa Barbara County.

To the north, evacuees started to return home late Monday as firefighters made progress against a foothill blaze near Oroville in Butte County.

Thousands of firefighters are on the scene of wildfires across California, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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