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Wildfire destroys 10 homes

Nearly three-dozen structures have been destroyed in a massive Northern California wildfire that continues to spread more than a week after it started, officials said Sunday.

According to preliminary figures, 10 residences and 22 outbuildings were lost in the King Fire as the structures were discovered in the White Meadows area of Pollock Pines, said Capt. Tom Piranio, a state fire spokesman.

Assessment teams were headed back into the rugged, steep terrain to survey more damage, he said.

"It has been very challenging to get access to those burn areas because there's a lot of inaccessible terrain," Piranio said. "We had to make sure it was safe enough to enter."

Smoky conditions from the fire also forced a last-minute cancellation of the popular Ironman Triathlon event in nearby Lake Tahoe Sunday morning. About 3,000 athletes from around the world were expected to participate, but couldn't due to poor air quality as the fire spread to the Tahoe National Forest northwest of Lake Tahoe over the weekend.

The fast-moving blaze located about 60 miles (100 kilometres) east of Sacramento that started Sept. 13 grew to more than 128 square miles (332 square kilometres) Saturday despite periods of rain overnight. A man charged with starting the fire, Wayne Allen Huntsman, 37, pleaded not guilty to arson Friday and remains in the El Dorado County jail on $10 million bail.

More than 21,000 structures remain threatened as the blaze remains at 10 per cent contained. More than 5,000 firefighters — from as far as Florida and Alaska — are helping California crews battle the blaze that has not only consumed grass and brush, but swaths of extremely dry tall timber.



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