Weather

Weather Conditions Create Problems With Wildfires

The Ranch Fire and Lake Fire in California have created challenges for firefighters.

Weather Conditions Create Problems With Wildfires
Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP
SMS

Nearly 100 wildfires are burning across the United States as the West sees record heat. 

In California, thousands are fleeing new fires east of Los Angeles. The Ranch Fire has scorched 3,000 acres so far and is 0 percent contained. The Lake Fire in northern Los Angeles County is just 5 percent contained. It's burned through more than 10,000 acres.

Temperatures dropped overnight, allowing firefighters a chance to catch up a little. But with hot, dry weather and gusty winds ahead, that advantage is likely short-lived.

While the Ranch and Lake Fires have been hard for crews to keep up with, they did find success containing one fire east of Los Angeles and one in northern California, near Sacramento.

In Tuscon, Arizona, temperatures hit 111 degrees Thursday. And heat warnings continue to stretch from Washington state to Louisiana.