Berkeley, Calif.
A lightning-sparked wildfire in the Los Padres National Forest that already burned 16 homes was moving closer Thursday to the scenic community of Big Sur, where it threatened 500 houses.The blaze was only 3 percent contained late Wednesday and had burned nearly 30 square miles near the coast about a mile south of Big Sur, officials said.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service predicted more lightning toward the end of the week, although forecasters did not expect as severe an electrical storm as last weekend, when nearly 8,000 lightning strikes sparked about 800 fires across Northern California.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited Monterey County on Wednesday to assess the damage and said he has called in the National Guard to help fight the fires.
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