The fires killed six people and are rapidly gaining ground in California, where a partial state of emergency has been declared and thousands have been evacuated, while a suspected arsonist has been arrested.

 

According to the California Governor's Emergency Department (Cal OES), some 63,000 hectares have burned in the 14 fires underway throughout California, and 10,000 firefighters are mobilized to fight them.

 

The fire called "Carr" north of the city of Redding (northern California), which caused the death of two firefighters on Thursday, has consumed 32,700 hectares since Monday, destroyed 500 buildings and damaged 75 others, indicated Saturday the Calfire fire department. Friday night, the area burned was 20,000 hectares.

 

It is limited to 5% and, in the night, "has progressed in all directions with significant advances," according to firefighters.

 

Two young children and their 70-year-old great-grandmother, Melodie Bledsoe, were killed in the "Carr" fire, their family told a US media outlet on Saturday.

 

In total, 38,000 people were evacuated to Shasta County because of what California governor Jerry Brown called "uncontrollable" focus.

 

President Donald Trump signed a decree on Saturday ordering the Emergency Management Agency (Fema) to support the county authorities.

 

In Southern California, "more than 1,300 firefighters are fighting the fire + Cranston +, which destroyed five houses and resulted in the closure of roads and the evacuation of about 7,000 people," said the National Forest Service .

 

The fire that has been raging since Wednesday in the San Bernardino National Forest, nearly 150 kilometers southeast of Los Angeles, has reduced to ashes nearly 5,300 hectares and was limited to 17%, according to a report. 17:00 GMT Saturday. It threatens about 4,900 buildings and three firefighters were injured.

 

A 32-year-old man, Brandon McGlover, was arrested shortly after the fire started. He is believed to have fired nine fires in southwestern Riverside County and was charged with arson charges on Friday morning for which he pleaded not guilty.

 

Governor Brown has declared a state of emergency in this county - which allows to unblock additional resources - affected by power cuts due to the damage caused by the flames on several kilometers of the distribution network.

 

 

Further north, the "Ferguson" light continued to grow near Yosemite National Park, which had to close in part, notably the Yosemite Valley, which should not be reopened to the public until August 3 at the end of the day.

 

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