Wildfire smoke spreads over California

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 29 (UPI) -- More than 1,000 fires continue to burn in California, blanketing much of the Golden State in smoke, officials said Sunday.

Flames in one Southern California fire have advanced toward more homes in Palo Colorado Canyon, a hamlet of about 250 homes north of Big Sur, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Jennifer Gray, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service, said firefighters equipped with bulldozers were cutting fire breaks east of the blaze to help protect the area that includes Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, a Buddhist monastery.

In all, 30 major blazes were continuing to threaten homes and lives, with all but five burning in Northern California, authorities said.

The fires have blackened at least 356,134 acres in the state since June 20. Nearly 48,000 acres have burned since Saturday morning, said Greg Renick, a spokesman for the California Office of Emergency Services.

In the San Francisco-Bay Area, officials said they had no plans to lift a health advisory and children, the elderly and people with heart and lung diseases were advised to limit outdoor activities.

Forecasters were predicting ocean breezes will start clearing out the haze Monday, the San Jose Mercury News reported Sunday.