New wildfires grow in Northern California as firefighters gain ground against big blaze in the south

By JOHN ANTCZAK
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Big new wildfires are challenging California firefighters even as they increase containment of earlier blazes that erupted as dry winds arrived last weekend. A new fire has spread over more than 8 square miles near the small community of Copperopolis about 100 miles east of San Francisco. Officials say it is 23% contained Tuesday evening. Another new blaze has spread over nearly 16 square miles in the northern Central Valley. In the mountains of northern Los Angeles County, the size of the 4-day-old Post Fire is unchanged. North of San Francisco Bay, the 3-day-old Point Fire in Sonoma County is 40% contained.