A firefighter watches a helicopter prepare to drop water on a wildfire near Carmel Highlands, south of Monterey, Calif., Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Acting Gov. Tom Torlakson, substituting for Gov. Jerry Brown who is at the Democratic National Convention with other top state officials, declared a state of emergency for the fire and another wildfire outside of Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The move frees up funding and relaxes regulations to help with the firefight and recovery. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
Republished July 28, 2016 - 2:19 PM
Original Publication Date July 28, 2016 - 6:35 AM
BIG SUR, Calif. - The Latest on California wildfires (all times local):
1:05 p.m.
The sister of a bulldozer operator killed in a Northern California fire described her younger brother Thursday as someone who always wanted to help.
Authorities identified the operator killed Tuesday as 35-year-old Robert Reagan of Fresno County. He died when the piece of heavy equipment overturned.
Hannah Cunnings told the Associated Press that Reagan was the kind of person who would offer to put snow chains on your car or fix an engine that needed fixing.
"Even since he was a boy he just really wanted to help people," she said, crying.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office said Reagan is survived by a common-law wife and two young daughters. Cunnings said her brother and his wife also cared for a young niece.
12:05 p.m.
Authorities say that a group of people rescued by Monterey County Sheriff's deputies Tuesday during a wildfire near California's Big Sur denied being marijuana growers, but the deputy did not believe them.
Sgt. Kathy Palazzolo said Thursday that one of the seven people in the group told a deputy they were backcountry hikers caught in the fire, but the deputy reported that they were not dressed as hikers.
Another spokesman for the department told the Monterey Herald they appeared to be illegal marijuana growers.
Palazzolo says a separate group of four walked out of the area earlier this week. They acknowledged growing marijuana.
On Thursday, the county identified the bulldozer operator killed in the fire as 35-year-old Robert Reagan of Fresno County.
The fire has torched 34 homes and prompted the evacuation of 350 homes.
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7:40 a.m.
A wildfire near California's Big Sur grew overnight and has now charred more than 42 square miles (108 sq. kilometres) and destroyed 34 homes.
The fire is just 10 per cent contained.
Crews are bracing Thursday for a spike in daytime temperatures and a drop in humidity. However the more than 3,500 firefighters could get a break if winds remain light in Monterey County.
A bulldozer driver was killed Tuesday when the piece of heavy equipment overturned. No other injuries have been reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
6:45 a.m.
Officials say the huge blaze in northern Los Angeles County is now 65 per cent surrounded.
The fire command said Thursday that crews have stopped the spread of the nearly 60-square-mile blaze in forest land east of Santa Clarita. Firefighters are aided by light winds but will contend with another day of triple-digit temperatures.
Metrolink commuter rail service is running again after being closed for days in the burn area.
To the north, crews braced for a spike in temperatures near Big Sur where a huge wildfire has destroyed 34 homes.
6:05 a.m.
Crews working around the clock took advantage of cooler overnight weather as they braced for a spike in daytime temperatures near California's Big Sur where a wildfire has destroyed 34 homes and killed a bulldozer driver working to contain the blaze.
Forecasters say humidity is expected to drop Thursday while temperatures will rise into the upper 80s. However the more than 3,000 firefighters could get a break if winds remain light in Monterey County. At least 34 structures have been destroyed in the fire that has charred 37 square miles (93 sq. kilometres). It's just 10 per cent contained
To the south, a wildfire that gutted 18 homes on the northern edge of Los Angeles County was 40 per cent contained late Wednesday. It has burned 60 square miles (154 square kilometres) of brush, mostly in forest land near Santa Clarita.
News from © The Associated Press, 2016