The largest California wildfire so far this season, the King Fire, is burning on a week after it began in El Dorado County, 60 miles east of Sacramento. The fire began on September 13 near the community of Pollock Pines and has now consumed 126 square miles of mostly tall timber, spreading quickly into Tahoe National Forest and destroying at least 10 homes. 2,800 people have been forced to evacuate.
One man, 37-year-old Wayne Allen Huntsman, has been charged with starting the blaze. Authorities have not yet said what evidence they have against Hunstman, who pleaded not guilty to arson on Friday, as KRON 4 reports. He's being held on $10 million bail.
At only 18 percent contained, the King Fire still threatens 12,000 more homes, and about 5,000 firefighters from around the country are now helping battle the blaze. Gusts of 30-mile-per-hour winds are expected to stoke it further on Monday.
Meanwhile, two fires we told you about last week, the Boles Fire near the town of Weed and the Courtney Fire near Yosemite, are now both nearly fully contained.
