As California burns, the winds arrive and the lights go out

SHAVER LAKE, Calif. (AP) — Wildfires churned through bone-dry California on Tuesday after a scorching Labor Day weekend that saw a dramatic airlift of more than 200 people trapped by flames and ended with the state's largest utility turning off power to 172,000 customers to try to prevent power lines and other equipment from sparking more fires.

Three early morning helicopter flights rescued another 35 people from Sierra National Forest as a fire raged, the California National Guard said.

California is heading into what traditionally is the teeth of the wildfire season, and already it has set a record with 2 million acres (809,000 hectares) burned this year.

The previous record was set just two years ago and included the deadliest wildfire in state history that swept through the community of Paradise and killed 85 people.

That fire was started by Pacific Gas & Electric power lines amid strong winds and tinder dry conditions. Liability from billions of dollars in claims from that and other fires forced the utility to seek bankruptcy protection. To guard against new wildfires and new liability, the utility last year began preemptive power shutoffs when conditions are exceptionally dangerous.

That's the situation now in Northern California, where high and dry winds are expected until Wednesday. PG&E received criticism for its handling of planned outages last year. The utility said it has learned from past problems, “and this year will be making events smaller in size, shorter in length and smarter for customers.”

Two of the three largest fires in state history are burning in the San Francisco Bay Area. More than 14,000 firefighters are battling those fires and about two dozen others around the state.

California was not alone: Hurricane-force winds and high...