Devastating wildfires consume another California town

After the Caldor Fire ripped through Grizzly Flats, Calif., a community of about 1,200 people, all that was left were a few homes, lone chimneys, burned-out husks of cars, and a row of chairs where a church once stood. Fire officials say the Caldor Fire has consumed at least 50 homes since erupting on Saturday. The wildfire continues to grow explosively southwest of Lake Tahoe.

What is the status of the other fires in California? On Wednesday, a grass fire blew up to threaten the city of Clearlake, 80 miles north of San Francisco, spurred by winds up to 30 mph. Residents evacuated as the fire engulfed dozens of homes. The Dixie Fire, the largest fire in the West, had spread more than 550,000 acres across four counties and is only 30 percent contained. Two weeks ago, the fire incinerated most of the Gold Rush-era town of Greenville.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s Sift on the destruction of Greenville.