Large Fires Burn in Calif., 8 Other States

YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. Jul 16, 2006 (AP)â?? Fire crews struggled Sunday to quell wildfires still raging across steep, rocky swaths of this desert region, as the harsh terrain slowed efforts to fully contain the blazes that have destroyed 58 homes and scorched more than 120 square miles.

Large wildfires are burning in nine states, most in the West, according to the National Fire Information Center in Boise, Idaho.

Two major fires in the California desert have merged, which fire officials described as a positive development.

"The fact that they burned together makes it easier for us because now we're only dealing with one perimeter," said Wayne Barringer, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2199538

Anyone around this area? It must be quite the site to see. :eek:

We've got a big fire up here in the Bay Area, more than 32K acres have burned. http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_197160042.html

It's on the other side of the mountain but I've been able to see the smoke from this one for days. Fortunately it look like they got it under control now.

A couple of years ago we had a big fire really close to us. We were'nt in any danger but we could see the flames from our house, at night the sky to the south would glow orange. Pretty wild. Apparently that one started when a meth lab blew.

These fires are really nothing new to us. It doesn't rain from about april to october out here. Combine that with hot, over 100 today, weather and it's just a matter of time. The question isn't so much "if?" but "when?" and "where?".