Fire conditions still ripe in NorCal

SACRAMENTO, June 11 (UPI) -- The National Weather Service kept a red-flag warning posted in Northern California Wednesday as heat and dry winds stoked wildfires in the Sacramento area.

High pressure will continue to produce winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour into Thursday while humidity levels will remain in the single digits, NWS forecasters said.

The conditions are considered perfect for the rapid spread of existing fires and the start of new ones in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

The largest fire in the area early Wednesday was a 6,400-acre blaze in the Sacramento area. The so-called Jackson fire was reported to be 40 percent contained Wednesday morning but not after causing serious injuries to a firefighter.

The Sacramento Fire Dept. said in a written statement that the unidentified captain suffered second-degree burns over his arms when a wind shift forced him and his crew to quickly retreat.

The Sacramento Bee said fires disrupted Amtrak service and traffic on Interstate 5 Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Times said another fire near Stockton destroyed 30 houses and condominiums Tuesday.