Hell-Fires Burn in California

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Weary crews battling blazes across northern and central California soon will get some help from the National Guard, the first time the troops have been called to ground-based firefighting duty since 1977. Already this year, drought conditions, high temperatures and a series of lightning storms have contributed to more than 680 square miles being scorched statewide. Federal fire managers predict an increase in severe wildfire activity in northern California through October due to unusually hot, dry weather and scant rain. The fires have created a smoky haze so stifling that some doctors in the San Joaquin Valley say their waiting rooms have been crowding with patients struggling to breathe.