15 Homes Lost in Vacaville, Redding Fires; Arson Hinted

At least 15 homes were destroyed in Northern California and 100 more were threatened as wind-fanned blazes burned at least 8,700 acres of brush near Vacaville and another 6,000 acres near Redding on Sunday, fire officials said.

Nine homes burned to the ground in an arson-caused fire 15 miles west of Vacaville and six homes were destroyed 20 miles east of Redding, the California Department of Forestry reported.

Smoke from the Vacaville blaze stretched 100 miles to the southwest, dumping fine ash all over the San Francisco Bay Area.

The smoke, carried by 35-m.p.h. winds at upper altitudes, reddened the sunrise, created an overcast in San Francisco and continued out to sea. In the city, the ash was visible on lawns and parked cars.

Arson Inquiry

The blaze erupted Saturday night 50 miles from San Francisco and between Vacaville and Lake Berryessa. There was no expected time for containment.

Officials would not say why they believe the Vacaville fire was set by an arsonist. But two other “not natural” fires started about 3 p.m. Sunday just a few miles from the main blaze, forestry department Investigator Loyde Johnson said.

Two people were injured, with burns on their arms, said Vacaville Fire Chief Howard Wood.

He said several towers, used for military and communication purposes, were damaged by the fire atop Mt. Vaca.

Nine remote ranch homes and an outbuilding were burned, and 62 area residents were evacuated.

660 Battling Blaze

The California Department of Forestry deployed 660 firefighters and 16 aircraft, and was concerned about the possibility that smoke eventually could obscure visibility on Interstate 80.

Meanwhile, a 6,000-acre blaze in Shasta County’s Clover Creek Canyon led to evacuation of 40 or 50 families from the north end of the tiny town of Whitmore. About 85 boys also were evacuated from the private Cascades School.

The blaze, fanned by 50-m.p.h. winds east of Redding, destroyed 11 structures including at least six homes. Also destroyed was a barn containing some classic automobiles.

The fire broke out late Saturday night of an unknown cause and there was no expected time for containment. No injuries were reported.