Wildfires scorch Calif. as thousands flee

DAVENPORT, Calif. August 14. KAZINFORM. Thousands of firefighters battled wildfires across California on Thursday, including a growing blaze that forced about 2,400 people to evacuate their homes in the Santa Cruz Mountains; Kazinform refers to China Daily.

The Lockheed Fire, which started around 7 pm Wednesday, had scorched about 2,800 acres, or 4.4 square miles, in Santa Cruz County, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The blaze, about 10 miles north of the coastal city of Santa Cruz, threatened more than 1,000 homes and other buildings and was not contained by late afternoon.

Authorities issued a mandatory evacuation order Thursday for the entire community of Bonny Doon, which has about 2,000 residents and several wineries, said CalFire spokeswoman Julie Hutchinson.

Everyone also has been ordered to leave the nearby community of Swanton, where about 400 people live.

The blaze is about three miles from the site of last year's Martin Fire, which burned 520 acres and destroyed 11 buildings in the Bonny Doon area in June 2008.

There have been no reports of injuries or property damage related to the fire, whose cause is under investigation, said CalFire spokesman Daniel Berlant; Kazinform cites China Daily. See www.chinadaily.com.cn for full version.