California wildfire: Cartago evacuated, Highway 395 closed

A stretch of Highway 395 is closed and a small community on the east side of the Sierra Nevada has been evacuated because of a wind-driven wildfire, the Inyo County sheriff’s department said.

The fire was reported around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, and an evacuation was quickly called for the community of Cartago, at the south end of the Owens Lake basin, and the nearby Crystal Geyser plant.

Three miles of Highway 395 was closed.

At 7 a.m. Thursday, the fire had burned 101 acres, said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. High winds and abundant fuel contributed to its rapid spread.