ALTURAS, Calif. — Firefighters in Northern California battled several lightning-sparked wildfires on Friday, including a blaze in rural Modoc County that forced about 120 people to flee their homes.
The fire near the community of Day had burned through nearly 11 square miles of brush and heavy timber and was threatening 200 structures on Friday, two days after it began.
Officials were expected to send additional crews to supplement the 700 or so firefighters battling the blaze, which is burning in steep terrain, said state fire spokesman Dennis Mathisen.
California is in its third year of drought, which has heightened the fire danger.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said Friday it has asked the National Guard to activate helicopter units to help fire agencies.
The fire in Modoc was among more than 40 that have broken out as a result of lightning strikes since Wednesday.
Most were in remote areas and were not threatening homes, and many of them were quickly contained.
Fire crews battling a blaze in Yosemite National Park, meanwhile, were expected to lift evacuation orders affecting about 50 homes. The fire was still burning close to one of the park’s three treasured stands of giant sequoia trees.