Tamarack Fire: Before it grew into out-of-control blaze, Forest Service decided to let it burn CNN 7 hrs ago © Noah Berger/AP The Tamarack Fire burns in Alpine County, California, on Saturday, July 17.
A massive wildfire raging out of control in the rugged mountains straddling the California-Nevada border, tearing through tens of thousands of acres was initially determined by US Forest Service officials to not be a threat and allowed to burn.
The lightning-sparked Tamarack Fire, first discovered on July 4 in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, was initially confined to a single tree burning on a ridgetop with sparse fuels and natural barriers to contain it, according to the Forest Service, which posted a video of the small smoldering fire in a Facebook post.
With wildfires blazing across the West, more counties are declaring states of emergency
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With wildfires blazing across the West, more counties are declaring states of emergency
msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.