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Mendocino Fire Delays Start Of School In Lake County

LAKEPORT (AP) — A Northern California school district is delaying the start of school because of smoke damage from a wildfire that is now the largest in state history.

The Lakeport Unified School District was scheduled to begin Wednesday but superintendent secretary Tami Carley said classrooms need to be cleared of smoke before students can return.

She said the school year for the Lake County district will be delayed at least two weeks.

The Mendocino Complex Fire is made up of twin fires being treated as one.

It has scorched 455 square miles (1,178 square kilometers) and is threatening thousands of homes in Mendocino, Lake and Colusa counties. It is burning about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of San Francisco.

The district has about 1,500 students in grades K-12.

© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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