Fast-Moving Fairview Fire Kills At Least 2 In California

A fast-moving wildfire near California’s Big Bear Lake grew thousands of acres overnight, killing at least two people and forcing more than 3,200 homes to evacuate.

Fire officials said the Fairview Fire, in the San Bernardino Mountains about 80 miles from Los Angeles, grew more than 500 acres in an hour after it sparked near the town of Hemet, California. The fire had spread to 2,000 acres by Monday evening, destroying seven structures and prompting emergency warnings for local communities.

The blaze is just 5% contained. The cause is still under investigation.

All schools in the Hemet Unified School District were closed Tuesday until conditions improve.

A second fire, the Mill Fire, killed two people this weekend in Northern California. That conflagration has burnt nearly 11,500 acres and is just 20% contained.

The wildfires, among many burning across the United States, come amid soaring temperatures and a blistering heat wave in California. Temperatures topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas and officials declared a power grid emergency on Monday afternoon as millions cranked air conditioners to stay cool.

The state’s power authorities warned of potential power outages unless consumers doubled or tripled their efforts to conserve electricity.