wildfires

State officials are now offering major reward money for information about fires in our state.

American cities are also struggling under a thick blanket of smoke flowing from Canada, but could it affect Louisiana?

Evacuations also remain in effect for a community on the edge of the second fire, which was sparked by lightning Wednesday.

Also getting the evacuation notice is a hospital in nearby Brewster.

In south Oregon, firefighters have been able to hold a wildfire near the ranching town of Sprague River to a 4-square-mile area.

Gusts grounded all air support and hampered other efforts to directly attack the fast-moving flames.

The blaze has destroyed three buildings and is 20 percent contained.

State fire spokesman Daniel Berlant says about 500 firefighters were battling the Hunters Fire on Tuesday morning, up from 100 firefighters when the blaze began a day earlier.

The wildfire is about 3 miles away from residential areas, where people are under pre-evacuation warnings

On Tuesday it closed Interstate 17 near Cordes Junction in both directions for about four hours, causing a traffic backup for miles.

The 2015 budget request for firefighting is $2.2 billion, up from $2.1 billion in 2014.

In all, some 44 homes and an apartment building were lost in the county.

Some 21,000 residents in San Marcos were told to evacuate Wednesday, and 10,000 students were evacuated from a California State University campus.

Fire officials say the blaze is about 90 percent contained, but it's destroyed at least 10 homes and left one person dead.

The American Red Cross set up a shelter for those affected by the fire at a church in Guthrie.

The National Weather Service predicts the wind wills will continue to ease and become variable through Friday.

Meanwhile, more than 700 firefighters remain on the front lines battling the blaze with some 55 fire engines and bulldozers.

The fire that burned 2 ½ square miles has been reduced to smoke and scattered ashes after destroying five homes and damaging 17 houses and other structures.

Fire officials say they have "good solid containment" around almost every neighborhood in the communities of Glendora and Azusa, and Glendora residents were given the OK to return home last night.

The wildfire also is threatening the quality of water in a reservoir that serves San Francisco.