MIDDLETOWN, Calif. (AP) — Earlier this summer, this small mountain town north of San Francisco opened its modest high school to residents fleeing an unusually ferocious wildfire nearby.
The town's small cluster of shops and cafes was spared, but behind them erratic winds sent flames zigzagging down leafy streets, torching some houses and sparing others. On Monday, some residents returned to find their homes reduced to concrete foundations, chimney stacks and rubble.Now it is Middletown itself that has been evacuated — and gutted — by another blaze that shocked firefighters with its strength and speed.
