A California wildfire forces the cancellation of an extreme bike ride and prompts evacuations as the largest wildfire in the U.S. — burning in southern Oregon — continues to grow rapidly and dangerously.
south of Lake Tahoe forced the evacuation of a mountain town and the cancellation of an extreme bike ride through the Sierra Nevada, leaving thousands of riders and spectators stranded Saturday and rushing to flee the area.by lightning on July 4, exploded overnight to about 10 square miles and was burning six miles south of Markleeville, a small town close to the California-Nevada state line. It has destroyed at least three structures, authorities said.
Afternoon winds blowing at 20 to 30 mph fanned the flames as they chewed through bone-dry timber and brush. “This fire is large and moving so fast, every day it progresses 4 to 5 miles,” said Incident Commander Joe Hassel. “One of the many challenges that our firefighters face every day is working in new country that can present new hazards all the time.”
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