BIG PINE, Calif., July 7 (UPI) -- Three wildfires burned Saturday in California's Inyo National Forest, forcing the closure of about 100 miles of U.S. Highway 395, The Los Angeles Times said.
The fires, sparked by lightning Friday afternoon, had burned at least 17,000 acres by Saturday afternoon.
Portions of Highway 395 were still closed to traffic Saturday night, causing backups for miles on either side of Big Pine, Calif., to the north and Pearsonville to the south, the California Highway Patrol said.
As the fire threatened the small town of Independence, authorities evacuated about 1,000 people, the Times reported. There were no reports of injuries or deaths, but there was word that an undetermined number of structures were destroyed.
The road closure along Highway 395 was expected to play havoc Sunday afternoon as tens of thousands of people return home from Fourth of July holiday trips. The highway connects such popular tourist destinations as Mammoth Lakes, Lake Tahoe, the John Muir Wilderness and Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks.
