In brief: Lightning sparks new California fires

SAN FRANCISCO – Firefighters rushed to put out nine wildfires that were sparked by lightning in the northeastern corner of California on Sunday as a stubborn blaze to the west in Mendocino County continues to challenge crews.

The new fires in Lassen, Modoc and Shasta counties were not threatening any structures, but crews were trying to contain them so they can “concentrate on the large ones that we still have,” California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman Lynne Tolmachoff said.

She was referring to a wildfire that was sparked by lightning on July 30 and has burned 13 1/2 square miles of dry brush and timber near Laytonville in Mendocino County.

An evacuation order remains in effect as the fire about 160 miles north of San Francisco threatens nearly 60 structures across six communities, CalFire spokesman Brandon Rodgers said.

Returning workers checked for Ebola

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Missionaries returning to the United States after working with patients infected with Ebola will be put in quarantine and monitored, health officials said Sunday.

The quarantine will last at least three weeks since the missionaries were last exposed to people infected with the Ebola virus, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said.

The missionaries are with Charlotte-based SIM USA. None of them are sick or have shown any signs of having Ebola, but they agree with health officials that everyone should be as cautious as possible, SIM USA President Bruce Johnson said in a statement.

“We will continue to cooperate and collaborate with them and adhere strictly to their guidelines in the return of our missionaries to the United States,” Johnson said.

The aid group isn’t releasing how many missionaries were in Liberia or when they will return to protect the privacy of their families.

U.S. energy worker killed in Egypt

HOUSTON – An American employee of Texas-based energy company Apache Corp was killed last week in an apparent carjacking in the western Egyptian desert, officials said Sunday.

“The victim was a longtime employee who works with production operations and we are deeply saddened by his death,” Apache spokesman Bill Mintz said. “Apache is working with authorities and a full investigation is underway.”

He said the attack occurred Wednesday as the employee was driving in the desert between Qarun and Karama, southwest of Cairo.

Egyptian security officials, who asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said Sunday that investigations were ongoing to determine who was behind the death of the man. The American had been killed by gunfire, they said.