Heat wave driving fast-moving wildfire south of San Francisco
SANTA CRUZ - Authorities say at least 300 buildings are threatened by the rapidly growing Loma Fire in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Tuesday that the blaze in a rugged area about 30 miles south of San Jose has destroyed one home, damaged another structure and charred more than 1.5 square miles of dry brush and timber.
CBS San Francisco reports numerous residents of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz have been evacuated.
It’s unclear if the threatened buildings were homes or smaller structures. The flames also are burning close to television and radio towers.
Hundreds of people were evacuated after the fire broke out Monday amid a heat wave, and more residents were ordered to leave as the flames spread overnight.
More than 500 firefighters are battling the blaze, which is 5 percent contained.
A statewide heat wave that baked even coastal cities that normally benefit from the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean was expected to start easing Tuesday.
The mercury shot up into triple digits in downtown Los Angeles and points north and south as high pressure gripped the drought-stricken state. Most other areas were in the 90s or at least the 80s.