Nearly 3,000 people from some 700 homes are under evacuation orders as a wildfire north of Los Angeles kept growing, feeding on old, dry brush, some of which hadn't burned in decades. 
 
 One boat lies melted on the shore of Lake Hughes in Lake Hughes, Calif., early Sunday, June 2, 2013. Erratic winds fanned a blaze in the Angeles National Forest to nearly 41 square miles early Sunday,... (Associated Press) 
 
 The sign for the Lake Elizabeth Golf & Ranch Club stands in the foreground as smoke looms up in the distance in what has been called the Powerhouse fire in Elizabeth Lake, Calif., early Sunday, June 2,... (Associated Press) 
 
 A burned-out Jeep is parked next to a Los Angeles County Fire Department rig at one of at least five structures destroyed or severely damaged in what has been called the Powerhouse fire in Lake Hughes,... (Associated Press) 
 
 A Los Angeles County firefighter approaches a fire along a road in what has been called the Powerhouse fire in Lake Hughes, Calif., early Sunday, June 2, 2013. Erratic wind fanned the blaze in the Angeles... (Associated Press) 
 
 Map locates Lake Hughes and Lake Elizabeth, Calif., that have been evacuated from a wildfire (Associated Press) 
 
 A window frames the view of a home damaged by wildfires in Lake Hughes, Calif., early Sunday, June 2, 2013. Erratic wind fanned a blaze in the Angeles National Forest to nearly 41 square miles early Sunday,... (Associated Press) 
 
 A firefighting helicopter carries a large water bucket behind a home that has been destroyed, one of at least five structures destroyed or severely damaged in what has been called the Powerhouse fire... (Associated Press) 
 
 The blaze had burned about 35 square miles in the mountains and canyons of the Angeles National Forest, destroying at least six homes and damaging 15 more. 
 
 The fire, which was 20 percent contained, was fueled in part by chaparral that was "extremely old and dry" and hadn't burned since 1929, U.S. Forest Service Incident Commander Norm Walker said Sunday at a news conference. 
 
 It was spreading fastest into unoccupied land, but populated areas about 50 miles north of downtown LA remained in danger, with more than 2,800 people and 700 homes under evacuation orders that were expected to last until late Monday or Tuesday in the communities of Lake Hughes and Lake Elizabeth, sheriff's Lt. David Coleman said. 
 
 It appeared to be the fiercest of several burning in the West, including two in New Mexico, where thick smoke covered several communities and set a blanket of haze over Santa Fe. Crews fighting the two uncontained wildfires focused Sunday on building protection lines around them, hoping predicted storms could bring moisture to help reduce the intensity of the fires. 
 
 In Southern California, about 2,100 firefighters were taking on the wildfire, aided by water-dropping aircraft, including three helicopters expected to stay aloft through the night. 
 
 "We're putting everything that we have into this," Walker said. 
 
 The cause of the fire was under investigation. Three firefighters had minor injuries, but no one else was hurt. 
 
 Winds of about 25 mph and gusting as high as 40 mph had created "havoc" for firefighters for much of Sunday, LA County Deputy Chief David Richardson said. 
 
 Propelled by the strong winds, the fire jumped an aqueduct into the west of Lancaster, officials said. 
 
 Nightfall brought some weather relief, and firefighters hope they could take advantage of it. 
 
 "It is cooling off," Forest Service spokesman Nathan Judy said. "The winds have died down, at least compared to earlier." 
 
 In a report early Monday, fire officials said that the blaze was holding and no new evacuations or road closures were immediately foreseen. 
 
 At least six homes had burned to the ground, and 15 more were scorched by flames, LA County fire Chief Daryl L. Osby said. 
 
 George Ladd, 61, said among them was a cabin at Lake Hughes his family had owned since 1954, but sold just last week. He said he expected it may go up in flames sooner. 
 
 "We had always worried about that thing going off like a bomb," Ladd said. 
 
 He walked through the ashes of his former cabin and the other destroyed homes Sunday. 
 
 "All of them are nothing," he said by phone from his home in nearby Palmdale later Sunday night. "A few scraps, a few pieces of wood with nails sticking out, but mostly just broken up concrete." 
 
 Mark Wadsworth, 64, said he was confident his house in Lake Elizabeth survived. He spent Sunday parked in his truck atop a ridge, watching plumes of smoke rise from the canyons below. 
 
 "I've got nowhere to go, so I'm just waiting for them to open the roads again and let me back in," Wadsworth said. 
 
 In New Mexico, a fire burning in Santa Fe National Forest 25 miles from Santa Fe had grown to nearly 12 square miles by Sunday evening, causing thick smoke to cover parts of Gallinas Canyon and Las Vegas, N.M. 
 
 The fire near the communities of Pecos and Tres Lagunas had prompted the evacuations of about 140 homes, most of them summer residences. 
 
 Crews also cleared out campgrounds and closed trailheads in the area as they worked to prevent the fire from moving toward the capital city's watershed and more populated areas. 
 
 Another New Mexico blaze, the Thompson Ridge fire near Jemez Springs, grew to nearly 3 square miles. 
 
 Forty to 50 homes that were evacuated late last week remained so on Sunday. 
 
 Forestry service officials say neither blaze and destroyed any homes, but one house suffered minor damage. 
 
 For California evacuees, the Red Cross opened centers in Lancaster and Palmdale, where about 150 residents awaited word on when they could return home. 
 
 A huge plume of smoke could be seen from much of northern Los Angeles County, and air-quality officials warned against strenuous outdoor activity. 
 
 The blaze broke out Thursday just north of Powerhouse No. 1, a hydroelectric plant near the Los Angeles Aqueduct. 
 
 The wilderness area is a draw for boaters, campers and hikers. Crews and residents were being warned to keep an eye out for rattlesnakes and bears that could be displaced by flames. 
 
 Evacuations remained in effect for several campgrounds and two youth probation camps. Several roads and trails were closed. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writer Andrew Dalton also contributed to this story. ||||| Please enable Javascript to watch this video 
 
 A dangerous, fast-moving wildfire spread through the Cajon Pass on Friday, damaging several homes and threatening about 50 others after jumping the 15 Freeway and destroying some 20 vehicles stopped on the pavement. 
 
 The fire started about 2:30 p.m. off the freeway just north of State Route 138 (map), prompting the closure of all southbound and northbound lanes of the 15 Freeway. Responding fire crews were stuck in the resulting gridlock and CHP was urging drivers to avoid the area. 
 
 The North Fire was at 500 acres about 3:45 p.m., and firefighting aircraft were temporarily grounded due to drone activity, the San Bernardino County Fire Department stated on Twitter. Two hours later, the fire was at 3,500 acres. By 8:30, the blaze was still only 5 percent contained, according to the fire officials. 
 
 Five homes had burned and about 50 were threatened in the Baldy Mesa area, the Fire Department tweeted around 5:30 p.m. Fire officials later stated that four structures had been destroyed. 
 
 A number of fire engines could be seen positioned outside homes, providing structure protection and putting out spot fires, aerial video from Sky5 showed. 
 
 An evacuation center was set up at Serrano High School, at 9292 Sheep Creek Road in Phelan. An animal shelter was also opened at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds, at 14800 Seventh St. in Victorville. 
 
 Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the Baldy Mesa area east of Sheep Creek Road, north and west of the 15 Freeway, and south of Phelan Road (map). The area consists of scattered homes and ranches. 
 
 "Currently we have not only a multi-casualty incident, but a large wildfire threatening structures," Josh Wilkins with the county Fire Department said. 
 
 Hundreds of firefighters were sent to structures that were threatened in Baldy Mesa, Oak Hills and Phelan areas, Wilkins said. 
 
 Aerial video from Sky5 showed flames burning just feet from a ranch home on the northwest edge of the fire about 5:30 p.m. 
 
 The blaze began as a vegetation fire and was spread rapidly toward the Oak Hills area by 40 to 45 mph winds, according to Wilkins. 
 
 Only two minor injuries were reported, according to Melody Lardner of the San Bernardino National Forest. 
 
 Some 20 vehicles were destroyed and 10 were damaged when the fire jumped the southbound lanes of the 15 Freeway, soon after the blaze flared up. 
 
 Two of the vehicles destroyed were big rigs, according to the multi-agency federal wildfire website InciWeb. Two more big rigs were damaged. 
 
 Aerial video from Sky5 also showed a boat and a car-carrier truck burning. 
 
 Seventy to 80 vehicles were abandoned on the pavement, some without keys, as frightened motorists fled the approaching flames, according to the California Highway Patrol. 
 
 "All of a sudden, it just came on us, and we ran up the hill," said Armando Aguilar, who lost his boat in the fire. 
 
 The Highway Patrol was trying to get the vehicles out of the fire's path, but officers were awaiting tow trucks from the Victorville area, CHP spokesman Steve Carapia said Friday afternoon. Officers were also working to reunite drivers with vehicles that were able to be driven away, Carapia said. 
 
 Those who did manage to drive through the fire described a chaotic and terrifying scene. 
 
 "I can feel the heat," said Steven Mrochek, who recording the scene on his cellphone as his family drove past the towering flames. 
 
 On the recording, his wife Gabrielle could be heard exclaiming how hot the fire was. 
 
 Two lanes on the northbound 15 Freeway reopened early Friday evening. Two lanes on the southbound side had also reopened around 12:30 a.m. Saturday. 
 
 The other two southbound lanes were expected to remain closed for an unknown amount of time. 
 
 The fire caused "superficial damage" to the freeway, according to Terri Kasinga with Caltrans District 8. The charred sections of road will have to be scrubbed off and then patched, she said. 
 
 The fire was under unified command with San Bernardino County Fire Department, Cal Fire, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. 
 
 Firefighters were facing temperature of 95 degrees, with relative humidity at 14 percent, according to InciWeb. 
 
 Gusty winds also impacted firefighting efforts. 
 
 "It's been a considerable factor," said James Blair with the Big Bear Hotshots. "The fire grew significantly in size and rapidly." 
 
 The blaze marks the second major wildfire in the San Bernardino National Forest in a month. The Lake Fire, which burned more than 31,000 acres, started June 17 south of Big Bear Lake. 
 
 The 15 Freeway is the main route from the Los Angeles basin to Las Vegas and is heavily traveled during Friday rush hour. 
 
 The area burning is about 45 miles east-northeast of downtown Los Angeles in a pass that separates the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountain ranges. 
 
 The cause of the fire was under investigation. 
 
 A public call center for the fire was set up at 909-383-5688. 
 
 KTLA's Kennedy Ryan contributed to this story. 
 
 Correction: An earlier version of this story included a photo caption that misidentified a highway near the North Fire. The post has been updated. 
 
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 Please enable Javascript to watch this video ||||| San Quentin Inmates Talk About Daring Bay Rescue 
 
 They're usually behind bars at one of the country's most notorious prisons, but on Wednesday morning several San Quentin inmates risked their lives during a daring rescue of two boaters whose vessel had sunk into the Bay’s frigid water. 
 
 The risk meant nothing for a group of firefighters who didn’t hesitate to jump into the 52-degree water off the eastern shore of Marin County and save a life. 
 
 The call came just after 1 a.m. when a 14-foot motorboat capsized and sank in the water near San Quentin. A guard in Tower Three heard a scream for help from the two people left floating. 
 
 The first firefighters on scene were ten inmates from San Quentin who all reside in a firehouse on the prison grounds. Engine 23 got the call. 
 
 "We found two people in the water; one conscious, and one unconscious," said inmate firefighter Sean Tiger. 
 
 It was Tiger’s fellow firefighter Derrick Edgerly who went into the water for the rescue. 
 
 "I took my turnouts off went over the wall and went into the Bay," said Edgerly. "There was no fear or hesitation. The guy needed help." 
 
 Edgerly said he helped wrap a fire hose around the boaters. His fellow inmates then pulled the two people up 15-feet out of the water. The unconscious male boater came out first 
 
 "Once the guy came over, [they] started CPR on him immediately," said inmate Robert Henderson. 
 
 The man and the woman, who was wearing a life vest, were in the water for an unknown amount of time before they made it to the shore. . Marin County sheriff's Lt. Barry Heying said the man and the woman were initially conscious but the man collapsed and never regained consciousness. 
 
 The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for the capsized boat, Heying said. 
 
 The sheriff’s office said the two victims were in their forties. Both were taken to Marin General Hospital where the man was pronounced dead. The woman, also a Larkspur resident, was treated and released. 
 
 The male boater was later identified by the Marin County coroner's office as 44-year-old James Laurel of Larkspur. 
 
 San Quentin officials said the firefighters are non-violent offenders who live on prison grounds, but just outside the walls in an old firehouse.They respond to calls on the yard, in the cells and in the Bay. 
 
 "You get a lot of good training. [It’s a] great group of guys," said Henderson. "And you learn things you can take to the street with you." 
 
 Though they have been trained for just such emergencies, Wednesday’s rescue stood out as an unusual incident for the inmate firefighters. 
 
 "It’s like a surreal experience," said Tiger. "Something that many people wont go through in their life." 
 
 Edgerly was happy that -- in addition to saving a life -- Wednesday’s rescue might change people’s perception of inmates at San Quentin. 
 
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 "It's an opportunity out here to show people that even though we made a mistake and we have some debt to society we still human beings and we care for people and want to help people," explained Edgerly.
– No firefighters around when your boat goes up in flames? How about hiring this freethinker to douse it with a speedboat "and look like a badass doing it," reports Gizmodo. Bystanders with a video camera recorded the flaming boat at Lake Lyndon in New Zealand but apparently just stood around and watched. One of them even dissed the boater's makeshift firefighting technique, saying, "F--k that" and "What are you doing?" But by the look of it, the boater's four passes did accomplish something: putting out the fire.