Intense Lightning, High Winds Hamper Firefighting*

Wednesday July 11, 2007 12:16 PM

By SUDHIN THANAWALA

Associated Press Writer

FRESNO, Calif (AP) - Strong wind and lightning created a one-two punch
for firefighters battling Western wildfires, whipping up old blazes and
sparking new ones.

In California's Inyo National Forest, crews were busy trying to control
new spot fires and gained little on a 35,000-acre wildfire, roughly 55
square miles, that remained about 80 percent contained through the day
Tuesday, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Nancy Upham.

``We were hit with these thunderstorms, so there were a lot of winds in
the area,'' Upham said. ``It did not jump the containment lines at all,
but clearly we were not able to extend them any further.''

The storm system threatened to bring more lightning - but little rain -
to the western Sierra through Thursday, said National Weather Service
meteorologist Will Pi.

The Inyo fire, sparked by lightning on Friday, has destroyed six homes
and closed trails in a popular wilderness area north of Mount Whitney.

Eleven firefighters have been injured there, including nine who were
trapped in fire shelters Saturday while trying to help people evacuate
the area. Six of those trapped were taken to a Fresno burn center
Tuesday when they began feeling the effects of smoke and heat exposure,
officials said.

The new flare-ups came as wildfires burned in at least seven states.
Five of the nation's top-priority wildfires are in Utah.

Crews in central Utah are fighting the biggest wildfire in state
history, which increased to 514 square miles Tuesday, authorities said.
The fire about 120 miles south of Salt Lake City was 10 percent
contained, and officials said they expect that containment figure to
increase because the east and west flanks of the fire are improving.

Nevada's largest blaze - near the Idaho line - grew to about 114 square
miles and was about half contained, Elko Interagency Dispatch Center
Manager Bill Roach said.

The weather was cool and cloudy in the southwest corner of South Dakota,
where crews expected to make significant progress on a wildfire near Hot
Springs that killed a homeowner and destroyed 30 houses. The blaze had
covered more than 15 square miles and was 20 percent contained.

``We're starting to gain a hold on this thing,'' Joe Lowe, state
wildland fire suppression coordinator, told many of the 500 firefighters
near Hot Springs on Tuesday. ``It's not over yet, but we're getting close.''

Wildfires kept the Kitt Peak National Observatory in southern Arizona
closed, but officials said the threat to it was significantly reduced.
At least eight fires were burning across Arizona.

In northern California, a 22,000-acre blaze, or 34 square miles, burned
in Plumas National Forest. Residents of the nearby communities of
Janesville and Milford have been asked to prepare to evacuate, though no
order has been issued.

Welby Clark, who owns a mini-mart in Milford with her husband, said she
was not concerned and said officials were doing a good job keeping
residents informed.

``I think they've got a real good plan in place,'' Clark said. ``If it
does come over, then we'll take some belongings and go.''

A smaller fire in nearby Shasta County prompted mandatory evacuations of
30 to 50 homes Tuesday afternoon as flames approached the town of Fall
River Mills, said Shasta County Sheriff's Detective Marc St. Clair. No
damage to structures or injuries had been reported.

Firefighters near the coast got a break in the Los Padres National
Forest as cool temperatures and high humidity kept the 10,400-acre fire
from spreading. The 16-square mile blaze was 37 percent contained by
Tuesday evening.

``It settled a bit, it didn't burn actively as before, but it will take
more to stop this fire,'' said Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Eli
Iskow. ``Dry lightning is still a concern.''