3 major fires burn out of control; governor warns 'there is more to come'

There was little good news Monday on the California fire front. Three major wildfires were burning out of control, and Gov. Jerry Brown warned that, given the ravages of drought and the growing influence of climate change, "there is more to come."

In hilly and rural Lake County, a short drive north of the state's storied wine country, the ferocity and breakaway speed of the Valley fire stunned veteran firefighters, hampered strategic planning and gave rise to worries that it could be a harbinger of an extended, and unpredictable, fire season in the months ahead.

By Monday evening the still-raging fire had grown to 62,000 acres and was just 10% contained. Smoke had thinned just enough during the day to provide a clearer assessment of the scope of the devastation. The picture was a tragic one.

The death of a woman was confirmed Monday; sheriff's deputies had found her remains in a charred residence on Cobb Mountain the night before. Officials said there were other individuals unaccounted for.

A seven-mile stretch of Highway 175 connecting Cobb, where the fire originated, to the devastated town of Middletown was a corridor of destruction: blackened abandoned cars, denuded pine groves, dead animals, gutted houses.

"An extraordinarily hostile fire" said veteran firefighter Kevin Rosado, who was working near the highway Monday. - Read More at latimes

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