California fire kills one as heat stokes blazes in western states

A wildfire raging through drought-stricken timber and brush in northern California has killed one person and destroyed 40 buildings as it burned largely out of control, authorities said. No other details were released about the death blamed on the fire that threatened 300 homes near Hornbook, a town of 250 people about 14 miles south of the Oregon border. The so-called Klamathon Fire was one of dozens of blazes across the dry American West, fuelled by rising temperatures and gusty winds that are expected to last through the weekend. Heat spreading from southern California into parts of Arizona, Nevada and Utah threatened to worsen flames that have forced thousands of people to flee and destroyed hundreds of homes across the West. A new blaze erupted on Friday night in Santa Barbara County, north west of Los Angeles. A house fire got out of control and spread into residential areas in the hills above Goleta, authorities said. North-northwest winds were blowing the embers and flames downhill and the fire was about a mile from central Goleta, county fire Captain Dave Zaniboni said. He told KNX-AM radio he had seen four or five buildings burn. "It's burning down toward the populated...