Explosive wildfires across California stoked by fierce winds

By MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ and BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press
SHAVER LAKE, Calif. (AP) — Wildfires are raging unchecked across parts of the western United States as winds sweep the region. More than 14,000 firefighters are on the lines of California’s fires from the Sierra Nevada to the San Francisco Bay region and south to San Diego County. In Washington, more acres burned in a single day than firefighters usually see all year. Fires also have forced people to flee in Oregon and Idaho. A temperature plunge helped slow wildfires in the Rocky Mountains. The National Weather Service says critical fire weather conditions continue Wednesday but winds will diminish by Thursday.