At least&nbsp;36&nbsp;people were killed in weekend&nbsp;clashes&nbsp;in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/18-prisoners-dead-16-injured-after-clash-in-honduras-jail-269515">Honduran prisons</a> as the military and police try to regain control after a spate of murders linked to the criminal gangs plaguing the country.

On Sunday afternoon, 18 gang members died in a clash between inmates at El Porvenir&nbsp;prison, 60 kilometres&nbsp;north of the capital Tegucigalpa.

"Firearms, knives and machetes" were used in the brawl, which also left 10 wounded, Lieutenant Jose Coello, a spokesman for the National Inter-Institutional Security Force (Fusina), told local media.

On Friday night, 18 prisoners died and 16 were wounded in a shooting at the&nbsp;prison&nbsp;in the port town of Tela, northwest of the capital.

The killings came shortly after President Juan Orlando Hernandez - grappling with a wave of&nbsp;prison&nbsp;killings -&nbsp;ordered the army and the police on Tuesday to take control of the country's 27 prisons, which are badly overcrowded with some 21,000 inmates.

The security forces later said they were deploying about 1,200 military and police in 18 facilities classified as "high risk."

Hernandez announced the crackdown after the killings on December 14 of five members of the feared MS-13 gang by a fellow detainee at the high-security&nbsp;prison&nbsp;in La Tolva, east of Tegucigalpa.

That came just a day after Pedro Idelfonso Armas, the warden of&nbsp;Honduras's main high-security&nbsp;prison&nbsp;in Santa Barbara, El Pozo, was shot&nbsp;dead&nbsp;in the south of the country.

The security ministry had suspended Armas shortly before his death, amid an investigation into his presence during the October 26 murder of Magdaleno Meza, a drug kingpin whose confession and notebooks linked him to the president's brother, Juan Antonio "Tony" Hernandez.&nbsp;

Meza's account books were used as evidence in the New York trial of Hernandez, who was subsequently convicted on four counts of drug trafficking. He faces sentencing -&nbsp;possibly for life - in January.

The president condemned the conviction of his younger brother, saying it was based on "the testimony of confessed assassins."

A video circulating on social media shows the 52-year-old Armas talking with Meza when&nbsp;prison&nbsp;guards opened a locked gate, allowing a dozen inmates to burst in to stab and fatally shoot him.

In statements to the AFP, Meza's lawyer, Carlos Chajtur, publicly accused the government of having ordered his client to be killed in retaliation for having collaborated with US justice in the trial against Hernandez.

Watch:&nbsp;Mexico to help create 20,000 jobs in Honduras to curb migration

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/mexico-to-help-create-20000-jobs-in-honduras-to-curb-migration-238977/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Drugs, gangs, poverty

On Sunday night military and police chiefs told the press that the wave of violence inside prisons "is an escalation of the criminal world to try to prevent Fusina (...) from imposing the necessary controls in the country's penal centres".

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in&nbsp;Honduras&nbsp;(OHCHR) said it observed "with alarm the violence inside prisons", and urged the state "to guarantee the life and respect of human rights to those deprived of liberty and proceed to a prompt, effective and transparent investigation."

Honduras&nbsp;is plagued by drug trafficking, gangs, poverty and corruption.

It suffers one of the highest murder rates in the world outside areas of armed conflict, having registered 41.2 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018.

To fight this scourge, Hernandez created a military police force financed by a new tax and built special prisons for gang members.

The sky-high crime rate has been a key factor behind a wave of migration toward the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-moved-to-freeze-ukraine-aid-90-minutes-after-trump-phone-call-report-269643">United States</a>, notably by minors who say they fear being forced into gangs.

At least 36 people were killed in weekend clashes in Honduran prisons as the military and police try to regain control after a spate of murders linked to the criminal gangs plaguing the country.

At least 36 people were killed in weekend clashes in Honduran prisons as the military and police try to regain control after a spate of murders linked to the criminal gangs plaguing the country. On Sunday afternoon, 18 gang members died in a clash between inmates at El Porvenir prison, 60 kilometres north of the capital Tegucigalpa. "Firearms, knives and machetes" were used in the brawl, which also left 10 wounded, Lieutenant Jose Coello, a spokesman for the National Inter-Institutional Security Force (Fusina), told local media. On Friday night, 18 prisoners died and 16 were wounded in a shooting at the prison in the port town of Tela, northwest of the capital. The killings came shortly after President Juan Orlando Hernandez - grappling with a wave of prison killings - ordered the army and the police on Tuesday to take control of the country's 27 prisons, which are badly overcrowded with some 21,000 inmates. The security forces later said they were deploying about 1,200 military and police in 18 facilities classified as "high risk." Hernandez announced the crackdown after the killings on December 14 of five members of the feared MS-13 gang by a fellow detainee at the high-security prison in La Tolva, east of Tegucigalpa. That came just a day after Pedro Idelfonso Armas, the warden of Honduras's main high-security prison in Santa Barbara, El Pozo, was shot dead in the south of the country. The security ministry had suspended Armas shortly before his death, amid an investigation into his presence during the October 26 murder of Magdaleno Meza, a drug kingpin whose confession and notebooks linked him to the president's brother, Juan Antonio "Tony" Hernandez. Meza's account books were used as evidence in the New York trial of Hernandez, who was subsequently convicted on four counts of drug trafficking. He faces sentencing - possibly for life - in January. The president condemned the conviction of his younger brother, saying it was based on "the testimony of confessed assassins." A video circulating on social media shows the 52-year-old Armas talking with Meza when prison guards opened a locked gate, allowing a dozen inmates to burst in to stab and fatally shoot him. In statements to the AFP, Meza's lawyer, Carlos Chajtur, publicly accused the government of having ordered his client to be killed in retaliation for having collaborated with US justice in the trial against Hernandez. Watch: Mexico to help create 20,000 jobs in Honduras to curb migration Drugs, gangs, poverty On Sunday night military and police chiefs told the press that the wave of violence inside prisons "is an escalation of the criminal world to try to prevent Fusina (...) from imposing the necessary controls in the country's penal centres". The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Honduras (OHCHR) said it observed "with alarm the violence inside prisons", and urged the state "to guarantee the life and respect of human rights to those deprived of liberty and proceed to a prompt, effective and transparent investigation." Honduras is plagued by drug trafficking, gangs, poverty and corruption. It suffers one of the highest murder rates in the world outside areas of armed conflict, having registered 41.2 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018. To fight this scourge, Hernandez created a military police force financed by a new tax and built special prisons for gang members. The sky-high crime rate has been a key factor behind a wave of migration toward the United States, notably by minors who say they fear being forced into gangs.

Prison clashes leave 36 dead in Honduras

Flames ripped through brush and woodland on hills above the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/northern-california-wildfire-torches-more-than-1000-homes-156569"> Californian</a> city of Santa Barbara early on Tuesday, forcing some residents to leave their homes, authorities said.

The fire broke out in Los Padres National Forest late on Monday afternoon and spread to cover 3,100 acres by the evening, Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office tweeted.

"An evacuation warning is being issued for the area north of Foothill Road and Ontare to Gibraltar Road," the official said, referring to areas north of the city.

The blaze, dubbed the "cave fire", started near East Camino Cielo and Painted Cave Road in the forest, it added.

Firefighters from neighboring areas were rushing to Santa Barbara to help the local service control the fast-moving blaze, authorities said.

Flames ripped through brush and woodland on hills above the Californian city of Santa Barbara early on Tuesday, forcing some residents to leave their homes, authorities said.

Flames ripped through brush and woodland on hills above the Californian city of Santa Barbara early on Tuesday, forcing some residents to leave their homes, authorities said. The fire broke out in Los Padres National Forest late on Monday afternoon and spread to cover 3,100 acres by the evening, Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office tweeted. "An evacuation warning is being issued for the area north of Foothill Road and Ontare to Gibraltar Road," the official said, referring to areas north of the city. The blaze, dubbed the "cave fire", started near East Camino Cielo and Painted Cave Road in the forest, it added. Firefighters from neighboring areas were rushing to Santa Barbara to help the local service control the fast-moving blaze, authorities said.

Fast-moving fire threatens homes in Santa Barbara County

The 34 people killed when a dive boat caught fire and sank off the California coast likely died from smoke inhalation and may have been dead before flames consumed their bunk area, the local sheriff said on Friday.

The disclosure raises questions over whether crew members, who told investigators they tried desperately to rescue the passengers in their below-decks sleeping quarters, were already too late to save them by the time they were alerted to the blaze.

Divers have so far recovered the burned remains of 33 victims, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown told a news conference. Crews hoped to find the final body when the 75-foot (23-meter) Conception was raised from the floor of the Pacific Ocean as early as Friday.

"We will continue working tenaciously to recover all the victims, to determine how they died and investigate the cause of this terrible fire and loss of life with the hope that future such tragedies can be prevented," Brown said.

The Conception erupted in flames at about 3:15 am (1015 GMT) on Monday off Santa Cruz Island, killing 33 passengers and a crew member in one of California’s worst maritime disasters.

The five surviving crew members, who were above deck when the fire broke out, have told investigators the flames kept them from climbing down a narrow ladder into the bunk room or gaining access through a window.

A coroner's pathologist was "convinced" the victims died due to smoke inhalation, Brown said, but his analysis was considered preliminary pending toxicology tests.

The sheriff stopped short of saying the findings meant the crew's efforts would have been too late to save the victims, cautioning that more investigation was required.

Families in Singapore, Japan

Officials have decided against conducting autopsies on the victims, a move aimed at more quickly releasing the remains to family members, some of whom had travelled to California from as far away as India.

The coroner's office has identified 18 of the recovered bodies and officials released the names of nine victims, saying the rest awaited notifications of next of kin, who have been asked to provide DNA samples.

The FBI had been assisting in contacting loved ones of the dead. One victim's mother was notified in Japan and another family was found in Singapore, Brown said.

The passengers had signed up for a three-day scuba diving trip aboard the Conception and were sleeping below deck along with one crew member when the fire erupted. That crew member, who perished in the accident, was identified on Friday as 26-year-old Alexandra Kurtz.

The eight deceased passengers whose names were released on Friday were: Raymond "Scott" Chan, 59; Justin Carroll Dignam, 58; Daniel Garcia, 46; Marybeth Guiney, 51; Yulia Krashennaya, 40; Caroline McLaughlin, 35; Ted Strom, 62; and Wei Tan, 26.

The owner of the dive ship, Truth Aquatics, filed a petition in US District Court in Los Angeles on Thursday seeking to avoid liability in the incident by invoking a 19th-century law that has been used in such disasters as the 1915 sinking of the Titanic.

That action appears to be pre-emptive as no lawsuits have yet been filed against Truth Aquatics over the accident.

The Los Angeles Times, citing unnamed sources, reported that investigators had already found safety issues on the Conception, including the lack of a night watchman who was assigned to be on duty while the rest of the crew and passengers were sleeping.

Officials declined to comment on that report at the news briefing, but US Coast Guard Captain Monica Rochester confirmed that a night watchman or "rover" was stipulated by the boat's inspection certificate.

The Conception, which rests upside down on the ocean floor some 65 feet (20 meters) below the surface, could be raised as early as Friday depending on weather conditions, Rochester said

The 34 people killed when a dive boat caught fire and sank off the California coast likely died from smoke inhalation and may have been dead before flames consumed their bunk area, the local sheriff said on Friday.

The 34 people killed when a dive boat caught fire and sank off the California coast likely died from smoke inhalation and may have been dead before flames consumed their bunk area, the local sheriff said on Friday. The disclosure raises questions over whether crew members, who told investigators they tried desperately to rescue the passengers in their below-decks sleeping quarters, were already too late to save them by the time they were alerted to the blaze. Divers have so far recovered the burned remains of 33 victims, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown told a news conference. Crews hoped to find the final body when the 75-foot (23-meter) Conception was raised from the floor of the Pacific Ocean as early as Friday. "We will continue working tenaciously to recover all the victims, to determine how they died and investigate the cause of this terrible fire and loss of life with the hope that future such tragedies can be prevented," Brown said. The Conception erupted in flames at about 3:15 am (1015 GMT) on Monday off Santa Cruz Island, killing 33 passengers and a crew member in one of California’s worst maritime disasters. The five surviving crew members, who were above deck when the fire broke out, have told investigators the flames kept them from climbing down a narrow ladder into the bunk room or gaining access through a window. A coroner's pathologist was "convinced" the victims died due to smoke inhalation, Brown said, but his analysis was considered preliminary pending toxicology tests. The sheriff stopped short of saying the findings meant the crew's efforts would have been too late to save the victims, cautioning that more investigation was required. Families in Singapore, Japan Officials have decided against conducting autopsies on the victims, a move aimed at more quickly releasing the remains to family members, some of whom had travelled to California from as far away as India. The coroner's office has identified 18 of the recovered bodies and officials released the names of nine victims, saying the rest awaited notifications of next of kin, who have been asked to provide DNA samples. The FBI had been assisting in contacting loved ones of the dead. One victim's mother was notified in Japan and another family was found in Singapore, Brown said. The passengers had signed up for a three-day scuba diving trip aboard the Conception and were sleeping below deck along with one crew member when the fire erupted. That crew member, who perished in the accident, was identified on Friday as 26-year-old Alexandra Kurtz. The eight deceased passengers whose names were released on Friday were: Raymond "Scott" Chan, 59; Justin Carroll Dignam, 58; Daniel Garcia, 46; Marybeth Guiney, 51; Yulia Krashennaya, 40; Caroline McLaughlin, 35; Ted Strom, 62; and Wei Tan, 26. The owner of the dive ship, Truth Aquatics, filed a petition in US District Court in Los Angeles on Thursday seeking to avoid liability in the incident by invoking a 19th-century law that has been used in such disasters as the 1915 sinking of the Titanic. That action appears to be pre-emptive as no lawsuits have yet been filed against Truth Aquatics over the accident. The Los Angeles Times, citing unnamed sources, reported that investigators had already found safety issues on the Conception, including the lack of a night watchman who was assigned to be on duty while the rest of the crew and passengers were sleeping. Officials declined to comment on that report at the news briefing, but US Coast Guard Captain Monica Rochester confirmed that a night watchman or "rover" was stipulated by the boat's inspection certificate. The Conception, which rests upside down on the ocean floor some 65 feet (20 meters) below the surface, could be raised as early as Friday depending on weather conditions, Rochester said

California boat fire victims likely died of smoke inhalation

Authorities in southern California raised the death toll from mudslides that battered the region to 19 on Saturday as rescue workers continued the search for victims.

Five people are still missing after the mudslides, according to an update on the County of Santa Barbara&#39;s website, which warned people to &quot;anticipate the numbers of missing persons to fluctuate significantly.&quot;

&quot;Crews continue to search buildings and debris flows for trapped victims. The unstable environment remains a critical threat to civilians and responders,&quot; it said.

&quot;The large amounts of mud and debris are making access and progress challenging.&quot;

Heavy rain on Tuesday, which followed 10 months of drought, sent sticky mud and debris flowing down the hills into Montecito.

In addition to the dead and injured, 65 homes have been destroyed while another 462 sustained damage.

Terrifying wildfires in the area forced evacuations in December, and the mudslides struck just two weeks after people returned.

The fires burned most vegetation, leaving perfect conditions for the latest disaster to unfold.

Five people are still missing after the mudslides

Authorities in southern California raised the death toll from mudslides that battered the region to 19 on Saturday as rescue workers continued the search for victims. Five people are still missing after the mudslides, according to an update on the County of Santa Barbara's website, which warned people to "anticipate the numbers of missing persons to fluctuate significantly." "Crews continue to search buildings and debris flows for trapped victims. The unstable environment remains a critical threat to civilians and responders," it said. "The large amounts of mud and debris are making access and progress challenging." Heavy rain on Tuesday, which followed 10 months of drought, sent sticky mud and debris flowing down the hills into Montecito. In addition to the dead and injured, 65 homes have been destroyed while another 462 sustained damage. Terrifying wildfires in the area forced evacuations in December, and the mudslides struck just two weeks after people returned. The fires burned most vegetation, leaving perfect conditions for the latest disaster to unfold.

Death toll from California mudslides rises to 19

Rescuers picking through the waist-deep mud on Thursday, two days after a massive mudslide killed at least 17 people along Southern California&#39;s coast, said they feared more bodies may be found but still held out hope for &quot;miracle&quot; survivors.

The walls of fast-moving mud and debris that tore through hillside communities before dawn on Tuesday took the lives of three children, at least one married couple and two people in their 80s, officials said in releasing the names of the dead.

Authorities hiked the number of those considered missing to 43 at an afternoon press conference, up from eight earlier in the day, saying that some of those people may be out of town or in a hospital but that others may be deceased.

&quot;Realistically we suspect we are going to have the discovery of more people killed in this incident,&quot; Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said.

Asked by reporters if the operation had shifted from a rescue to a recovery more than 48 hours after the mud came down, the sheriff said his crews had not given up hope.

&quot;There have been many miraculous stories of people lasting many days (following similar disasters) and certainly we are searching for a miracle right now,&quot; Brown said.

About 700 rescue workers in helicopters and high-wheeled military vehicles, some with search dogs, were deployed in the hunt for the missing in a disaster zone littered with the remnants of hundreds of damaged or destroyed homes.

Among the dead were an elderly woman whose house was washed away by mud, the founder of a Roman Catholic school and a real estate executive, according to friends, family and local news media.

The cause of death for all 17 will be listed as multiple traumatic injuries due to flash flood with mudslides, the Santa Barbara Sheriff&#39;s office said in a statement.

&quot;The Sheriff&#39;s Office wants to express our heartfelt sadness to the family and friends of those who lost their loved ones,&quot; it said.

Two of the victims were killed when their houses were swept away in the mudslides.

Josephine Gower, 69, died when she opened the door to her home, her son, Hayden Gower, told NBC station KSBY. Her daughter-in-law Sarah Gower confirmed Gower&#39;s death in a Facebook post. Her body was found that night, near a highway hit by the slide.

&quot;I told her to stay on the second floor, but she went downstairs and opened the door and just got swept away,&quot; Hayden Gower told KSBY. &quot;I should have just told her to leave. You just don&#39;t even think that this is possible.&quot;

Roy Rohter, 84-year-old founder of the St. Augustine Academy Roman Catholic school in Ventura, died when the slide swept him from his home in Montecito, according to school officials and local news media.

Rebecca Riskin, the 61-year-old founder of a real estate firm, was also killed in Montecito, according to the company and local news media.

&quot;She was in the house and was swept away,&quot; said Renee Grub, a friend of Riskin. &quot;I&#39;m told there was about 5 feet (1.5 m) of mud. She was a dear friend. She&#39;s so little she was only like 100 pounds (45.36 kg).&quot;

Heavy rains on hillsides denuded by last year&#39;s record wildfires triggered the mudslides, which also destroyed about 100 homes and injured at least 28 people, officials said.

The region&#39;s natural beauty and easy access to Los Angeles to the southeast have long attracted the rich and powerful, including television personality Oprah Winfrey, former tennis star Jimmy Connors, talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres and actor Jeff Bridges.

&quot;Our home has been severely damaged, but we are safe, and so thankful for that and for the first responders who are working tirelessly to save people,&quot; Bridges wrote on Twitter. &quot;We are heartbroken over the loss of lives in our community.&quot;

Last month&#39;s spate of wildfires, including the largest in California history, burned away grass and shrubs that held soil in place, and baked a waxy layer into the earth that prevents water from sinking deeply into the ground.

At least 28 people were injured, authorities said, while 30,000 remained subject to mandatory evacuation orders

Rescuers picking through the waist-deep mud on Thursday, two days after a massive mudslide killed at least 17 people along Southern California's coast, said they feared more bodies may be found but still held out hope for "miracle" survivors. The walls of fast-moving mud and debris that tore through hillside communities before dawn on Tuesday took the lives of three children, at least one married couple and two people in their 80s, officials said in releasing the names of the dead. Authorities hiked the number of those considered missing to 43 at an afternoon press conference, up from eight earlier in the day, saying that some of those people may be out of town or in a hospital but that others may be deceased. "Realistically we suspect we are going to have the discovery of more people killed in this incident," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said. Asked by reporters if the operation had shifted from a rescue to a recovery more than 48 hours after the mud came down, the sheriff said his crews had not given up hope. "There have been many miraculous stories of people lasting many days (following similar disasters) and certainly we are searching for a miracle right now," Brown said. About 700 rescue workers in helicopters and high-wheeled military vehicles, some with search dogs, were deployed in the hunt for the missing in a disaster zone littered with the remnants of hundreds of damaged or destroyed homes. Among the dead were an elderly woman whose house was washed away by mud, the founder of a Roman Catholic school and a real estate executive, according to friends, family and local news media. The cause of death for all 17 will be listed as multiple traumatic injuries due to flash flood with mudslides, the Santa Barbara Sheriff's office said in a statement. "The Sheriff's Office wants to express our heartfelt sadness to the family and friends of those who lost their loved ones," it said. Two of the victims were killed when their houses were swept away in the mudslides. Josephine Gower, 69, died when she opened the door to her home, her son, Hayden Gower, told NBC station KSBY. Her daughter-in-law Sarah Gower confirmed Gower's death in a Facebook post. Her body was found that night, near a highway hit by the slide. "I told her to stay on the second floor, but she went downstairs and opened the door and just got swept away," Hayden Gower told KSBY. "I should have just told her to leave. You just don't even think that this is possible." Roy Rohter, 84-year-old founder of the St. Augustine Academy Roman Catholic school in Ventura, died when the slide swept him from his home in Montecito, according to school officials and local news media. Rebecca Riskin, the 61-year-old founder of a real estate firm, was also killed in Montecito, according to the company and local news media. "She was in the house and was swept away," said Renee Grub, a friend of Riskin. "I'm told there was about 5 feet (1.5 m) of mud. She was a dear friend. She's so little she was only like 100 pounds (45.36 kg)." Heavy rains on hillsides denuded by last year's record wildfires triggered the mudslides, which also destroyed about 100 homes and injured at least 28 people, officials said. The region's natural beauty and easy access to Los Angeles to the southeast have long attracted the rich and powerful, including television personality Oprah Winfrey, former tennis star Jimmy Connors, talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres and actor Jeff Bridges. "Our home has been severely damaged, but we are safe, and so thankful for that and for the first responders who are working tirelessly to save people," Bridges wrote on Twitter. "We are heartbroken over the loss of lives in our community." Last month's spate of wildfires, including the largest in California history, burned away grass and shrubs that held soil in place, and baked a waxy layer into the earth that prevents water from sinking deeply into the ground.

More mudslide fatalities expected, number of missing rises

A stubborn wildfire stoked by triple-digit temperatures raged for a sixth day outside Santa Barbara in coastal Southern California on Monday as crews worked to keep the blaze some have called a &quot;sleeping giant&quot; in check, officials said. 
 
So far, the so-called Sherpa Fire burning in chaparral and tall grass about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Santa Barbara has led to the evacuation of hundreds of residents from ranches and campgrounds in the hilly area. 
 
Authorities said they expected to begin allowing homeowners and farm laborers back into those areas on Wednesday, though county health and environment officials issued an air quality warning for smoke and falling ash from the fire. 
 
The tally of acreage burned held at nearly 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) since late Sunday, said Jim Schwarber, a spokesman for the multi-agency team combating the blaze. 
 
The fire, which broke out last Wednesday in the Los Padres National Forest and was 54 per cent contained by Monday, has been called a sleeping giant due to the triple-digit temperatures and dense, bone-dry brush in the area that has not burned in decades, he said. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re working hard to keep that giant contained so it doesn&#39;t wake up,&quot; Schwarber said. 
 
So far, the blaze has destroyed only one building - a water-treatment center at a campground, he said. 
 
But it has threatened more than 200 structures and forced officials to close the 101 Freeway near the Pacific Coast periodically as flames crept to within less than a mile of the shore. 
 
More than 1,900 firefighters were assigned to the blaze. 
 
&quot;Red flag warnings&quot; were also posted for the mountains around Los Angeles on Monday as two fires erupted in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest north of the city. 
 
One blaze, dubbed the Reservoir Fire, had consumed some 1,500 acres by late afternoon and prompted the evacuation of about 70 homes. The second blaze a few miles away devoured about 1,000 acres, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Lulu Castillo said. 
 
About 160 miles farther south, firefighters battled flames roaring through dry brush and chaparral near the Mexican border for a second day, keeping the desert community of Potrero under evacuation. 
 
That fire, about 50 miles southeast of San Diego, had charred more than 1,900 acres and was just 5 per cent contained on Monday, California fire officials reported. 
 
Two states away, the 6-day-old Dog Head Fire in central New Mexico has charred more than 17,000 acres and was 9 per cent contained after destroying 24 homes. 
(Reuters)

It has led to the evacuation of hundreds of residents from ranches and campgrounds in the area close to Santa Barbara

A stubborn wildfire stoked by triple-digit temperatures raged for a sixth day outside Santa Barbara in coastal Southern California on Monday as crews worked to keep the blaze some have called a "sleeping giant" in check, officials said. So far, the so-called Sherpa Fire burning in chaparral and tall grass about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Santa Barbara has led to the evacuation of hundreds of residents from ranches and campgrounds in the hilly area. Authorities said they expected to begin allowing homeowners and farm laborers back into those areas on Wednesday, though county health and environment officials issued an air quality warning for smoke and falling ash from the fire. The tally of acreage burned held at nearly 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) since late Sunday, said Jim Schwarber, a spokesman for the multi-agency team combating the blaze. The fire, which broke out last Wednesday in the Los Padres National Forest and was 54 per cent contained by Monday, has been called a sleeping giant due to the triple-digit temperatures and dense, bone-dry brush in the area that has not burned in decades, he said. "We're working hard to keep that giant contained so it doesn't wake up," Schwarber said. So far, the blaze has destroyed only one building - a water-treatment center at a campground, he said. But it has threatened more than 200 structures and forced officials to close the 101 Freeway near the Pacific Coast periodically as flames crept to within less than a mile of the shore. More than 1,900 firefighters were assigned to the blaze. "Red flag warnings" were also posted for the mountains around Los Angeles on Monday as two fires erupted in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest north of the city. One blaze, dubbed the Reservoir Fire, had consumed some 1,500 acres by late afternoon and prompted the evacuation of about 70 homes. The second blaze a few miles away devoured about 1,000 acres, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Lulu Castillo said. About 160 miles farther south, firefighters battled flames roaring through dry brush and chaparral near the Mexican border for a second day, keeping the desert community of Potrero under evacuation. That fire, about 50 miles southeast of San Diego, had charred more than 1,900 acres and was just 5 per cent contained on Monday, California fire officials reported. Two states away, the 6-day-old Dog Head Fire in central New Mexico has charred more than 17,000 acres and was 9 per cent contained after destroying 24 homes. (Reuters)

Firefighters hold 'sleeping giant' wildfire in check in California,

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