Calif. wildfires spread, intensify

GOLETA, Calif., July 2 (UPI) -- California's wildfires spread south Wednesday with a new fire near Santa Barbara and intensified blazes in Big Sur, where a wildfire jumped a containment line.

The overnight blaze near Santa Barbara was reported in the Los Padres National Forest, near the coastal town of Goleta, and forced about 40 homes to be evacuated, KABC-TV, Los Angeles, reported. The fire reached within about two miles of Goleta during the day, the Los Angeles Times said.

A firefighter said crews hoped to get a handle on the 100-acre fire quickly before Santa Barbara County's ocean breezes began kicking up.

The stubborn Big Sur blaze jumped a containment line Wednesday morning and forced more evacuations, the Times reported. The development led to the closing of a 30-mile stretch of Highway 1, the main route through the scenic region, and the evacuation of the community of Big Sur.

California's firefighting resources remained stretched thin by more than 1,400 wildfires in the northern half of the state that have scorched around 436,000 acres.

Cal Fire reported more than 8,000 structures considered threatened, including more than 1,200 in the vicinity of the 52,000-acre Basin Complex fires in the rugged Big Sur region.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Tuesday called up National Guard troops to pitch in. However, fire commanders said they were picking their battles and focusing on populated areas and smaller fires that can be snuffed out before they get out of hand.