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Wildfire in the West!

It’s out of control! Nearly 3,000 firefighters battled a blaze they call the Williams Fire in California’s wilderness near Los Angeles last week. The blaze began as a brush fire in a remote area of Angeles National Forest on September 22. Within five days, it destroyed about 30,000 acres of the 650,000-acre forest. Flames as high as 30 feet moved east and west for miles. Thousands had to evacuate their homes. By Friday, the fire was two miles away from a suburb, Mount Baldy Village.

This year has been especially bad for forest fires. Severe drought has turned western forests so dry that the slightest spark could start a fire. California’s Santa Cruz County was also fighting flames last week.

Firefighters battling the Williams Fire used 35 helicopters and airplanes to spray flame-dousing chemicals from the air. Officials didn’t know the cause of the fire. Claremont resident Morgan Sokolow, 21, was concerned but felt safe enough. "It’s not under control, but they’re definitely steering it away from everybody," she said. The fire destroyed 71 cabins and other buildings in Angeles National Forest. Officials said it could burn there for up to a month. The park may be closed to hikers for a year.

Next: A Senator Says Farewell