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Wind gusting up to 35 miles (56 km) an hour, temperatures above
90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 C) and 10 percent humidity are in the
forecast from Thursday afternoon to Saturday in northern
California.
Firefighters in the area are battling the Mendocino Complex and
the Carr Fire, the National Weather Service said in an Red Flag
warning.
"A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm
temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior," the
service said.
More than 4,000 firefighters were confronting the Mendocino
Complex, which covered more than 302,000 acres (122,215
hectares) on Wednesday, making it the largest wildfire in
California history.
Two firefighters have been injured and 119 homes destroyed, the
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire)
said.
About 100 miles northeast, near Redding, 4,700 crews were
fighting the 176,000-acre Carr Fire, which has been blamed for
seven deaths, including two firefighters, and has destroyed
1,077 homes, Cal Fire said.
The two fires were 47 percent contained on Wednesday, Cal Fire
said.
Fifteen other major fires are burning in California. Together,
they have destroyed more than 1,500 structures and displaced
tens of thousands of people.
To the south, in the Cleveland National Forest area, the
relatively small 4,129-acre Holy Fire has destroyed 12
structures, fire officials said.
A 51-year-old man was arrested and booked on two counts of
felony arson, one felony count of threat to terrorize and a
misdemeanor count of resisting arrest, the Cleveland National
Forest said on Twitter on Wednesday.
The fire has displaced 20,000 people, CNN reported.
(Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, editing
by Larry King)
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