Out-of-control wildfires in the foothills of a national forest east of Los Angeles and in a recreational area south of Reno, Nevada, threatened buildings and forced hundreds of residents to flee amid a days-long heat wave of triple-digit temperatures.
In California, the so-called Line Fire was burning along the edge of the San Bernardino National Forest, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of Los Angeles. As of Monday morning, the blaze had charred about 32 square miles (83 square kilometers) of grass and chaparral and blanketed the area with a thick cloud of dark smoke.
It remained uncontained, threatening more than 36,000 structures, including single and multi-family homes and commercial buildings, the U.S. Forest Service said.
About 20 miles outside Reno, Nevada, the Davis Fire, which started Sunday afternoon, has grown to about 10 square miles (26 square kilometers). It originated in the Davis Creek Regional Park in the Washoe Valley and was burning in heavy timber and brush, firefighters said. It, too, was not contained.
An emergency declaration issued for Washoe County by Gov. Joe Lombardo on Sunday said about 20,000 people were evacuated from neighborhoods, businesses, parks and campgrounds. Some of south Reno remained under the evacuation notice on Monday, firefighters said, and some homes, businesses and traffic signals in the area were without power.
