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San Ramon Valley Fire Dept. firefighter Ben Wyley, right, puts out hot spots with the help of a California Dept. of Corrections fire crew in Watsonville, 21 Jun 2008
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Authorities in California say lightning strikes have sparked more than
400 fires in the northern part of the state, consuming thousands of
hectares and forcing some residents to evacuate.
The office of
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says the fires stretch more than 500
kilometers from south of San Francisco to the border of the neighboring
state of Oregon. The governor has ordered the California National
Guard to assist in fighting the blazes.
Meanwhile, much of
California is bracing for a fifth straight day of record high
temperatures. Forecasters say temperatures reached above 32 degrees
Celsius on Saturday in San Jose, Los Angeles and the state capital of
Sacramento.
The heat wave has sent people scurrying to beaches
and rivers to cool off, and strained regional power grids as millions
of residents turn on air conditioners.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
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