Wildfires threaten thousands of homes

Firefighters keep a safe distance while they monitor the Ponderosa fire near Viola, Calif. That blaze threatened 3,500 homes in northern California about 170 miles north of Sacramento.

MANTON, Calif. -- A huge wildfire sparked by lightning in northern California burned to the edge of three small towns on Monday, threatening thousands of homes as fearful residents sought safety miles away at an emergency shelter.

"All we can do is pray," evacuee Jerry Nottingham said.

The fast-moving Ponderosa Fire was one of many burning across the West, where lightning, dry temperatures, and gusting winds have brought an early start to fire season.

More than 1,400 firefighters were battling the Ponderosa Fire in rugged, densely forested terrain as it threatened 3,500 homes in the towns of Manton, Shingletown, and Viola, about 170 miles north of Sacramento.

"These are the largest number of homes we've had threatened so far this year," state fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said. "The grass, brush, and timber up here are so dry, and once the lightning with no rain struck, the flames began to spread quickly," he said.

The fire has destroyed seven homes while blackening 23 square miles. It was just 5 percent contained after beginning Saturday.

The fire forced the closure of Highway 44 and other roads and prompted the declaration of an emergency in Shasta County.

The Red Cross set up an evacuation center in Redding, Calif.

"We have air tankers, helicopters, and bulldozers and hand crews all available to us," Mr. Berlant said. "We're using every resource we have to put out this fire."

Another massive wildfire burning to the south in Plumas National Forest since July 29 grew larger over the weekend as strong winds pushed the flames past fire lines established late last week.

The blaze, about 120 miles north of Sacramento, has consumed more than 73 square miles and was threatening about 900 homes. It was 32 percent contained.

Elsewhere in California, a wildfire in Lassen Volcanic National Park was 51 percent contained after consuming more than 43 square miles. Officials expected firefighters would have the blaze contained today.

In Mendocino County, a wildfire that started Saturday had consumed about 8 square miles. That blaze was sparked by lightning and was burning in a remote area of thick timber and rugged terrain, making it difficult for fire crews to access.

In Idaho, firefighters dug in to defend the town of Featherville against the raging Trinity Ridge Fire that has chewed through 140 square miles in the central region of the state.

Flames had yet to reach Featherville, which was evacuated two days ago. But if they do, firefighters said they were ready with a planned burnout operation intended to slow the blaze.

Featherville is a popular summertime resort at the foot of the Trinity Mountains on the South Fork Boise River.

"It puts everyone in higher danger. Firefighters will have to worry about the safety of people who are left behind instead of fighting the fire and saving homes," U.S. fire information officer Mary Christensen said.

Fire crews prepared to defend hundreds of homes in Featherville, where second homes and rental cabins cause the summer population to swell to roughly 1,000, as well as structures in the nearby community of Pine.

"We hope those residents will reconsider and get out of there," Ms. Christensen said.

Thunderstorms were expected and could cause gusty, shifting winds around the fire.

The fire was ignited on Aug. 3 by an off-road vehicle that caught fire, authorities said.

Flames also threatened a critical stretch of the North Fork Boise River drainage where fire managers had hoped to cordon off the blaze to prevent its spread eastward toward the historic mining town of Idaho City.

Crews sought to construct fire lines by hand in the steep, rugged terrain ridging the river, Ms. Christensen said.

A little to the north, Idaho's largest wildfire, the Halstead Fire, which was ignited by lightning in late July, had burned 143 square miles.

The Idaho fire was one of dozens burning across 10 parched western states, with Nevada, Idaho, and California each seeing hundreds of thousands of acres charred.

In Washington state, firefighters hoped to fully contain a wildfire that burned dozens of homes in Cle Elum, about 75 miles east of Seattle.

Crews across the state expected thunderstorms that could bring moisture along with the possibility of lightning and additional fires.

The fire broke out a week ago at a bridge construction project and has burned nearly 36 square miles of grass, sagebrush, and timber in rural areas. Most of Eastern Washington was under a fire watch Monday because of high temperatures and low humidity.

Smaller fires were burning in Colorado and Utah after being sparked by lightning over the weekend.

So far this season, wildfires have consumed roughly 6.9 million acres across the United States, about 1.5 million acres more than the 10-year average for this time of year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise.