A horse grazes in a field after being rescued from downtown French Gulch, Calif., as a wildfire burns in the background, Aug. 14, 2004. A wind-driven wildfire roared through the old mining town, destroying more than 20 homes and forcing residents to evacuate.
Heli-tankers in the distance try to halt the spread of a wind-fueled wildfire as it travels west along Highway 299 from French Gulch, Calif., Aug. 15, 2004.
City of Anderson Fire Capt. Rodney Jones hoses flames as they approach a house on Back Bone Ridge Road near Lake Shasta, Calif., Aug. 13, 2004. The house was spared from the flames. The Shasta Lake fire destroyed 80 homes, 30 outbuildings and 10 vehicles; full containment was expected Aug. 16.
Dennis Dilliard, left, is consoled by his friend Shelby Hobbs outside his home that was destroyed by fire in Jones Valley, Calif., Aug. 13, 2004.
Joe Paramo rummages through the remains of his burned down home in the Jones Valley subdivision near Shasta Lake, Calif., Aug 12, 2004.
Lance Neibuhr carries his dog Sonic through a fire-ravaged neighborhood in Jones Valley, Calif., Aug. 13, 2004.
A fire-ravaged neighborhood is seen through a door in Jones Valley, Calif., Aug 13, 2004.
Bonnie Blumenthal, center, who lost her home in a wildfire, is embraced by neighbor Terry Mays, right, outside a restaurant in Bella Vista, Calif., Aug. 13, 2004.
Charred and burned homes are seen in Jones Valley, Calif., Aug. 13, 2004.
Walter Cooper takes a nap at Shasta College in Redding, Calif., Aug. 12, 2004. Cooper, who lives in the Jones Valley subdivision near Lake Shasta, Calif., said that he would be happy to rebuild again if his home wasn't saved.
David Clarno tests the humidity from Shasta Bear fire lookout, near Jones Valley, Calif., Aug. 13, 2004. Clarno was one of the first to report the Bear Fire when it began two days earlier.
Inmate firefighters sleep early Aug. 12, 2004, near Lake Shasta, Calif. A wildfire here had spread from about 1,000 acres to more than 5,100 acres over the last day.
Flames shoot through the tops of trees as the Bear Fire burns away from a house that was apparently spared Aug. 12, 2004, near Lake Shasta, Calif.
California Highway Patrolmen Jason Waterpaugh, left, and Chris Morales, center, and Shasta County worker Kirk Sedley man a blocked road as the Bear wildfire burns in the background near Shasta Lake, Calif., Aug. 12, 2004.
Firefighter Kaj Johnson walks along the road with a water hose to prevent the Bear Fire from jumping the road on Bear Mountain near Shasta Lake, Calif., Aug. 12, 2004.
Boaters on Shasta Lake watch as a wildfire spreads on the other side of Shasta Lake, Calif., Aug. 11, 2004.
Washington State
A large helicopter makes a water drop on the Fischer Canyon Fire, Aug. 9, 2004, near Dryden, Wash. The fire spread across private, state and national forest land, and by Aug. 16 had resulted in the evacuation of about 400 homes.
A wildfire burns near the Dryden Community Church in Dryden, Wash., Aug. 10, 2004.
Residents living near the Fischer Fire listen to Rex Reed, Incident Commander of the Washington Incident Management Team 2, during an informational meeting in Peshastin, Wash., Aug. 12, 2004.
A tour bus passes a blaze along Highway 97, about 20 miles southeast of Toppenish, Wash., Aug. 11, 2004. Fire officials restricted highway travel to one lane of escorted traffic through the area while firefighters battled a wildfire.