Wildfire Overtakes Northern California Town
Residents evacuate as blaze destroys 100 homes
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A wildfire overtook the Northern California town of Weed, destroying around 100 homes, according to an Associated Press report. No deaths have been reported, but more than 1,500 residents have been evacuated to a nearby fairground.
Weed, a small lumber town at the foot of Mount Shasta, 50 miles from the Oregon border, was named for a 19th-century lumber mill owner. Its population was around 3,000 at the time of the 2010 census.
The fire, dubbed the Boles Fire, began burning on Monday afternoon and was quickly spread by 40 mph winds. Firefighters had achieved 15 percent containment by Monday night, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Boles fire is one of many wildfires burning in California that have been partially attributed to the ongoing statewide drought.