(SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE) A wildfire burning since Friday in the Sierra Nevada foothills east of Sacramento destroyed 13 homes and 38 other buildings as firefighters continued to attack the 3,800-acre blaze Sunday.
The Sand Fire was 50 percent contained Sunday evening after threatening more than 500 structures and forcing dozens of evacuations west of Highway 16 and south of Placerville (El Dorado County), according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials.
Investigators believe the blaze was caused by a car found burned near the riverbed. "A vehicle drove into the dry vegetation and ignited that," said Lynne Tolmachoff, spokeswoman for Cal Fire, adding that she did not know whether the owner of the vehicle had been identified or tracked down.