北加州大火！2萬居民撤離家園
Massive wildfires blazing through California wine country have killed at least 24 people, injured more than 100 people and sent thousands fleeing as flames raged through high-end resorts, grocery stores and tree-lined neighborhoods.
加州酒鄉熊熊燃燒的大規模野火已造成至少24人喪生，超過100人受傷，火勢延燒到高級度假勝地、超市和樹木林立的社區，使得數千人撤離。
blaze(v.)熊熊燃燒California wine country加州葡萄酒鄉
Firefighters were still battling 22 wildfires in multiple California counties Wednesday morning.
週三早上，消防人員還在與加州各郡22起野火搏鬥。
battle(v.)奮戰;搏鬥
Intensified by strong winds, the flames have scorched 170,000 acres of land, damaged or destroyed at least 3,500 structures and forced nearly 20,000 residents to evacuate, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
加州森林防火廳指出，火勢受到強風助長，使得17萬英畝的土地化為焦土，破壞或燒毀至少3500棟建築物，並迫使近2萬名居民撤離家園。
intensify (v.)加強;增強scorch(v.)使燒焦=burn=charevacuate(v.)撤離
Another round of gusty winds was forecast for later Wednesday and through much of the day on Thursday for parts of northern California.
預估北加州部分地區在週三稍晚以及星期四整天還會有另一陣強風。
gusty(adj.)一陣陣勁吹的
It remains unclear what caused fires to break out nearly simultaneously and then exploded overnight.
目前還不清楚數起火災為何幾乎同時發生，然後一夜之間蔓延開來 。
simultaneously(adv.)同時=at the same time
Many residents were caught unaware as they headed to bed.
當時許多居民正準備上床睡覺，猝不及防。
be caught unaware無預警、出其不意=be caught off guard=be taken by surprise
Authorities point to a combination of dry weather and strong winds which has fanned the wildfires that began Sunday night.
有關當局指出，乾燥的天氣加上強風使得週日晚上開始的野火越燒越烈。
fan(v.)搧風;助長(火勢)=fuel=stoke up
The investigation remains “very early in the process,” Ken Pimlott, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said Tuesday.
加州森林防火廳廳長皮姆洛特於週二表示，火災原因調查仍在「非常初步的階段」。
“These are all fires that were in areas that are populated, and 95% of the fires in our state are started by people”, he said, playing down the possibility that lightning may have played a role.
他說所有的火勢都發生在有人居住的地方，加州95％火災都是人為因素造成的，淡化閃電引起野火的可能性。
populated(adj.)有人居住的=inhabitedplay down淡化、對～輕描淡寫=downplayplay a role造成影響