CA Wildfire Latest: New Deaths Discovered, 100,000+ Acres, Hundreds of Homes Burned

As California's early wildfire season rages on, some 4,900 firefighters were assigned to fight numerous incidents across the state on Thursday.

Fires have been popping up throughout the state nonstop for the last several weeks, and Cal Fire officials tell Patch the dry weather coupled with extreme heat isn't helping anything.

"We usually don't see [this many fires] until later in the summer," Cal Fire spokeswoman Lynnette Round told Patch on Wednesday. "But we are in the fifth year of a drought...it's just a recipe for disaster when you have high winds and high temperatures."

Several deaths have now been reported between the largest of the current fires: the Border Fire in San Diego County and the Erskine Fire in Kern County. Two deaths were confirmed last week in the Erksine incident, and on Wednesday, human remains were found in the Border Fire's burn path, which are believed to be a missing area couple.

Officials say 290 homes were destroyed in those two incidents as well.

Cal Fire tells Patch that between Jan. 1 and June 25, 2,392 fires were recorded between Cal Fire and federal agencies. Combined, those incidents burned a total of 98,088 acres.

Cal Fire issues a daily report on the current fire situation in the state. Here is its report from Thursday, June 30:

**CAL FIRE Incidents**

Border Fire, San Diego County (more info…)

Near Potrero

● 7,609 acres, 97% contained

RELATED PATCH COVERAGE: Human Remains Found in Border Fire Area Believed to Be Missing Couple

Laguna Fire, Orange County FINAL

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, 2½ miles northeast of Laguna Beach

● 47 acres, 100% contained

RELATED PATCH COVERAGE: Laguna Canyon Fire Fully Contained, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park Re-opens--Partially

**Unified Command Incidents**

Trailhead Fire, Placer and El Dorado Counties (more info…)

near Todd Valley, Foresthill

● 1,264 acres brush and slash, 12% contained

● Mandatory evacuations remain in place in areas of Todd Valley, advisory evacuations remain in the areas of Volcanoville and Bottle Hill Rd

● Federal Type II IMT, NorCal 2 (Young) will transition onto the fire today

● The incident remains in Unified Command CAL FIRE and USFS

Erskine Fire, Kern County (more info…)

Lake Isabella area

Unified Command: Kern County Fire, USFS and Bureau of Land Management

● 46,684 acres, 70% Contained

Sherpa Fire, Santa Barbara County (more info…)

West of Goleta

Unified Command: USFS and Santa Barbara County Fire

● 7,474 acres, 93% Contained

San Gabriel Complex, Los Angeles County (more info…)

North of Duarte and Azusa

Unified Command: USFS & LA County Fire

● 5,399 acres, 96% contained

● Two separate fires: Fish Fire (4,253 acres/96%) and Reservoir Fire (1,146 acres/96%)

RELATED PATCH COVERAGE: San Gabriel Complex Fire: Containment at 96 Percent

Marina Fire, Mono County (more info…)

Near Lee Vining

US Forest Service - Inyo National Forest

● 654 acres, 89% contained

● CAL FIRE ground resources assisting

Pony Fire, Siskiyou County (more info…)

15 miles southwest of Happy Camp

US Forest Service - Klamath National Forest

● 2,858 acres, 63% contained