King Fire burns structures, threatens UC Berkeley project
Source: SF Chronicle
The massive King Fire east of Placerville that exploded into one of the year's biggest wildfires claimed its first casualties - several homes and structures near the foothill town of Pollock Pines (El Dorado County).
Fire officials confirmed Friday that a handful of buildings had burned in the White Meadows area north of Highway 50 in the central Sierra. Details of the damage were sparse, though, because investigators were unable to evaluate the scene with the blaze still rampaging.
More than 21,000 structures remained threatened, officials said, and thousands of residents have fled. Nearly 4,500 firefighters were battling the inferno, which had grown to more than 76,000 acres by Friday afternoon while sending smoky air as far away as Fresno and San Francisco. The fire was just 10 percent contained.
Firefighters have managed to keep flames from burning south into communities along Highway 50. But the fire, fanned by strong winds, has quickly advanced north through the sparsely populated Eldorado National Forest.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Family-of-alleged-King-Fire-arsonist-shocked-5767241.php
