Thousands of firefighters were struggling Thursday to contain two vast wildfires in California, one of which has become one of the most destructive blazes in the state's history.

The Carr Fire has scorched 126,00 acres (51,00 hectares) of land since July 23, when authorities say it was triggered by the "mechanical failure of a vehicle" that caused sparks to fly in tinderbox dry conditions.

The fire has also razed 1,465 buildings, including some 1,000 homes, making it the sixth most destructive blaze in the history of the fire-prone western state.

More than 4,200 firefighters have been deployed to battle the conflagration but they have only succeeded in containing 35 percent of it so far.

Another major blaze known as the Ferguson Fire broke out near the popular Yosemite National Park almost three weeks ago, on July 13, and was only 39 percent contained by Thursday, officials said.

It has burned 68,610 acres of land, of which 5,700 went up in smoke on Wednesday night alone.

"The high pressure system above the fire is weakening throughout the week, resulting in warmer and drier conditions. This will increase fire behavior," warned Inciweb, which provides updates on the fires.

The two fires have killed eight people, with the Carr Fire alone responsible for six of the deaths.

Other fires raging in the state include the Mendocino Complex. It's made up of two blazes, the River Fire, which is 50 percent under control after burning 35,278 acres, and the Ranch Fire, which has torched 74,890 acres and is only 33 percent contained.

Several thousand people have been evacuated as the fires swept across the state, although some have been given permission in recent days to return to their homes.

Firefighters bring wildfire near Spain park under control
Madrid (AFP) Aug 2, 2018 - Firefighters aided by calmer winds on Thursday brought a wildfire under control that had erupted near Spain's famous Estrecho natural park in the southwest of the country.

The blaze which had raged since Wednesday at Punta Camarinal near Tarifa in the province of Cadiz amid scorching temperatures was contained at 2:30 pm (1230 GMT), the firefighting service in Andalusia announced on Twitter.

Firefighters were still at the scene to fully extinguish the blaze, it added.

The flames threatened, but did not enter, the nearby 19,000-hectare Estrecho natural park, a spokesman for the service said.

The park is home to oak, cork and wild olive trees as well as birdlife, such as white storks, vultures and falcons.

It also takes in Bolonia beach, which is regularly included on lists of Spain's best beaches because of its fine white sand and crystal clear waters.

Wind gusts of up to 55 kilometres (35 miles) per hour had fanned the flames, but firefighters said slower winds on Thursday had helped them gain the upper hand against the blaze.

Like much of Spain, Cadiz is on high alert for forest fires because of a heatwave pushing temperatures past 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

Spain's meteorological office, Aemet, said the hot spell would stretch from Wednesday to at least Sunday as a mass of hot air moves up from Africa.

In 2008, a wildfire destroyed around 500 hectares (1,200 acres) of land in the Estrecho natural park and forced the evacuation of around 1,000 people.

Related Links
Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology

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MISR views raging fires in California
Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 01, 2018
More than a dozen wildfires are burning in the state of California, with several of them threatening life and property. The Ferguson Fire ignited July 13 in the Sierra National Forest west of Yosemite National Park. Much of the forest in this area suffered extreme stress due to the extended drought of 2012 through 2017, and bark beetle damage, leaving many dead trees through which the fire has burned rapidly. Many surrounding towns have been under evacuation orders, and many popular areas of ... read more