REDDING, Calif. (AP) — As authorities prepare for a hot, crowded Fourth of July weekend that could bring the threat of new blazes, wildfires are surging through Northern California forests, burning several homes and forcing thousands to flee mountain communities.

Three wildfires near the towering Mount Shasta volcano have burned around 50 square miles of land.

The Redding Record Searchlight says around a dozen buildings, including some homes, have burned in the Salt Fire near the community of Lakehead. No building damage is reported from two other northern fires but the Lava Fire has prompted evacuation orders for some 3,500 people.