GUINDA, Calif. – The Latest on wildfires in the Western United States (all times local):
11:30 a.m.
Officials say a wind-fueled wildfire in Northern California now threatening more than 900 buildings continues to send a thick layer of smoke and ash as far as south of San Francisco.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Anthony Brown said Tuesday at least 2,500 people have been told to evacuate as the sprawling blaze continues to spread.
Brown says the blaze surging through rugged terrain northwest of Sacramento has grown to 109 square miles (280 square kilometers) amid hot and dry weather expected throughout the day. It's 5 percent contained.
He says more than 2,000 firefighters are working by air and on the ground to try to contain the blaze burning in Yolo and Napa counties.
Brown says CalFire is asking people to use caution when lighting up fireworks during the Fourth of July holiday.
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9:35 a.m.
More than 100 property owners in southern Colorado are dealing with the loss of their homes in a growing wildfire.
Authorities announced late Monday that the fire about 205 miles (330 kilometers) southwest of Denver has destroyed 104 homes. They're still assessing the damage, so it's possible the toll to property could rise.
Ellen Booth and Larry Booth told KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs that they lost their second home, where they planned to live in retirement. They weren't able to get insurance because of recent destructive fires in Colorado.
The homes burned in a mountain housing development started by multimillionaire Malcolm Forbes in the 1970s. It includes a mix of primary and vacation properties, ranging from cabins to larger homes.
Wildfires fueled by hot, dry conditions are burning in several Western states.
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9 a.m.
Authorities have evacuated 200 to 300 Utah homes because of a growing wildfire near a popular fishing reservoir.
Jason Curry of the Utah Division of Forest, Fire and State Lands says high winds expanded the fire to about 47 square miles (122 square kilometers). He says several structures have been lost but it's unclear how many.
Fire officials say the blaze started Sunday and officials believe it was human-caused.
High winds and hot, dry weather are forecast for Tuesday as fire crews battle the blaze in steep terrain. Those conditions are fueling blazes in several Western states.
The Utah fire is burning in an area east of Strawberry Reservoir, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) southeast of Salt Lake City.
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8:30 a.m.
Thousands of firefighters are struggling to contain a massive wildfire in rural Northern California.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Tuesday that the blaze surging through sparsely populated areas northwest of Sacramento has grown to 109 square miles (280 square kilometers). It's burning largely out of control.
Officials say about 300 people have been ordered to flee and more than 700 buildings are threatened in the area that's home to cattle and horse ranches.
Cal Fire says more than 2,000 firefighters are battling the fast-growing blaze fueled by gusty winds. It erupted Saturday and at times has grown by 1,000 acres an hour.
It comes as hot, dry conditions are fueling blazes in several Western states.
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