Donald Trump declares disaster as more wildfire feared in California

Local residents sit next to a vineyard as they watch the LNU Lightning Complex fire burning in nearby hills in Healdsburg, California. Pic/AFP

An unwelcome change in the weather, with higher winds, temperatures and lightning that threatens to spark new wildfires was coming on Sunday to parched Northern California, where firefighters have for nearly a week battled three huge "complexes" of fires that have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands to flee.

Responding to the emergency, President Donald Trump issued on Saturday a major disaster declaration to provide federal assistance. Governor Gavin Newsom said the declaration will also help people in counties affected by the fires with crisis counseling, housing and other social services.

Firefighters made slow but hopeful progress in battling the blazes on Saturday, aided by good weather but hampered by smoky skies that grounded water-dropping aircraft for some of the day. Reinforcements arrived to bolster overwhelmed crews, and evacuation orders were lifted in some areas.

But the changing weather brought fears of new fires overnight and warnings from state and local officials for residents in threatened areas to prepare to flee at any moment. "There's not a feeling of pure optimism, but a feeling of resolve, a feeling of we have resources backing us up," Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore said. Overall, the fires have killed five people and torched nearly 700 homes.

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