SACRAMENTO, Californi (AP) - As the flames closed in on tiny Berry Creek in the Sierra Nevada foothills early last Wednesday, Misty Spires and her boyfriend hooked a fire hose to a hydrant in a desperate attempt to defend their homes and the town's only laundromat.They gave up around 4:00 am when propane tanks began exploding and they were dodging embers 'as big as my feet', she said.
