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  Challenging terrain and weather hampered firefighters in Northern California as a blaze grew quickly Thursday afternoon, forcing evacuations as the flames destroyed homes, scorched vegetation and threatened a tortoise sanctuary, authorities said. The blaze broke out around mid-afternoon in Shasta County, just south of Redding, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The fire quickly grew to 304 acres (123 hectares), Cal Fire said. The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper reported that at least three homes burned. The blaze was 25% contained shortly before 8:30 p.m. Cal Fire reported Thursday night that 12 structures had been destroyed, though it was not immediately clear how many were residences. Firefighters aggressively attacked the blaze from the ground and the air, Cal Fire said in a news release, and crews will work overnight to strengthen containment lines and mop up around structures. An evacuation center was set up at a high school

  The president of France has urged the nation’s soldiers to maintain their "moral strength" in the wake of the war which is taking place on the borders of Europe The President of France has urged the nation’s soldiers to maintain their "moral strength" in the wake of the war which is taking place on the borders of Europe. During the traditional address to military personnel prior to Bastille Day, President Emmanuel Macron remarked, "War is returning, fully and cruelly, on European soil, and it reminds us of the tragedies of history,” Associated Press reported. He further asserted, "We now rediscover that the moral strength of our nation should absolutely be cultivated, encouraged and developed.” In light of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Macron claimed that the government intends to fulfil its pledge as a part of a military budget law that predicted allocating 50 billion euros ($50.17 billion) for the military by 2025, Associated Press reported.