Fire Season Starting Early In Parts Of California
Sonora, CA — 300 homes were evacuated over the weekend when a large fire ignited in southern California.
The Highway Fire in Riverside County is 1,020 acres and 35% contained. Officials say it was ignited by an unattended cooking fire Saturday evening. The evacuation orders for the hundreds of homes near the community of Norco have now been lifted, as progress was made yesterday, partly due to favorable weather conditions. It is one of the first major fires of what is expected to be a busy 2015 fire season, as California is facing its fourth year of drought. Over 650 firefighters remain on scene of the Highway Fire this morning.
Last week there was also a 200 acre fire in Siskiyou County, and a 137 acre fire in Placer County. Both of those incidents have now been contained.