Heat rising in West
wildfire areas
LOS ANGELES, July 13 (UPI) -- Hot weather raised the fire danger in Washington state Tuesday and made for tough slogging for crews battling blazes in Arizona and Southern California.
High-pressure building over the West raised the chances of thunderstorms and lightning in Washington's eastern Cascades while a shot of tropical monsoon humidity poured into the Southwest.
Hot, dry weather was also predicted in the fire-prone forests of Alaska.
The major fires burning in Arizona were being contained while small but stubborn fires in California remained out of control.
A 3,200-acre fire near Lake Hughes in northern Los Angeles County forced the voluntary evacuation of some 200 people and mandatory evacuations of a smaller number of people. The L.A. County Fire Department told UPI that the threat to homes had dwindled as winds remained erratic but a relatively light 10 miles per hour.
Uncontained fires were also burning in Riverside County and near Fresno.