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Winds Intensify as Firefighters Battle California Blaze

Associated Press

   SAN FRANCISCO - Winds grew stronger Thursday in California's wine
   country, threatening to escalate a massive wildfire that has burned for
   days and destroyed nearly 250 buildings.

   More fire crews and equipment were deployed in and around Calistoga, a
   town of 5,000 people known for hot springs, mud baths and wineries in
   the hills of Napa County about 110 kilometers north of San Francisco.

   Winds gusting to 48 kph were forecast to push through the hills
   Thursday night and Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
   The area was also experiencing high temperatures and thick smoky air.

   Fire and public safety officials warned that more evacuations are
   possible. They asked the public to remain vigilant, stay out of
   evacuation zones and quit demanding that officers let them back into
   off-limits neighborhoods.

   "It's been a long fire season and we're still at the heart of fire
   season here in California," said Billy See, an incident commander with
   the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known
   as Cal Fire.

   By the end of the week, "hopefully Mother Nature will play nice for a
   bit so my folks can get a little more aggressive on the ground," he
   said.

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