A wind-driven wildfire ripped through California's Sierra Nevada region this weekend, charring several thousand acres of land and destroying as many as 40 homes, reports the Los Angeles Times. The blaze, which has been named the Round fire, started Friday afternoon and continues to blaze, though latest reports say the fire is 75% contained.
Two towns in Sierra Nevada–located in the Northeastern part of the state, along the Nevada border–were completely evacuated. Residents of the towns Paradise and Swall Meadows told The Associated Press that the fire "hop-scotched" through the area, sparing some houses and engulfing others. Approximately 250 residents were forced to leave their homes and are staying in shelters until fire officials determine when it is safe for them to return.
The Kern County fire department posted this photo of a house burning from the wildfire to its Instagram page Saturday night:
#LastNight #RoundFire #StrikeTeam #InyoCounty
A photo posted by Kern County Fire Department (@kern_county_fire) on Feb 7, 2015 at 4:40pm PST
Rains moved into the area and are expected to fall throughout the day, but for a state that has been suffering from a three-year-long drought, a day of spotty rain is not enough to quell the ever-present threat of wildfires.
Click "next" to see more pictures of the devastation in Swall Meadows, Calif.
Photos provided by AP Photos.
Vehicles are burned and homes are reduced to rubble in the community of Swall Meadows, Calif., on Feb. 8. Fire crews increased containment of a wind-driven wildfire that destroyed 40 homes.
Crews work to remove a tree blocking a road in Swall Meadows. Fire crews said they still didn't know when residents–evacuated from two small California towns at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada–would be able to return home.
An expanse of land is burned in Swall Meadows. Residents say the fire "hop scotched" through the town, destroying some homes and sparing others.
A charred speed limit sign is seen along a road near Swall Meadows.
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