Evacuations ordered as winds pose challenges for firefighters battling California blaze

Strong winds are driving an out-of-control wildfire through a remote area of eastern California, prompting evacuations for hundreds of homes

Strong winds on Monday drove an out-of-control wildfire through a remote area of eastern California, prompting evacuations for hundreds of homes.

The Silver Fire erupted Sunday afternoon along Route 6 in Inyo County, about 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Bishop in the Owens Valley.

By Monday morning, it had grown to nearly 2 square miles (5 square km), according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. There was no containment.

The potential for 65 mph (104 kph) gusts limited flights by water-dropping helicopters and kept air tankers grounded, Cal Fire spokesperson Chloe Castillo said.

"The winds are very erratic," she said. “One minute they're pushing north, the next they're going east.”

Evacuations were ordered for about 800 homes in and around the tiny communities of Laws, Chalfant and White Mountain Estates near the Nevada border.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.