Lightning storm, easterly wind: How the wildfires got so bad

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Two unusual weather phenomena combined to create some of the most destructive wildfires the West Coast states have seen in modern times. First was a dramatic lightning storm over Northern and Central California. Thousands of bolts ignited hundreds of fires in parched grasslands and vineyards. Then, warm, dry winds blew toward the West Coast — not the usual direction. One month after the lightning storm set the stage, firefighters are still battling the blazes. At l