May 08, 2020 / By mobanmarket
Fueled by strong winds and dry weather, a half-dozen California wildfires have exploded to burn more than 85,000 acres and hundreds of structures in just over a day’s time. Both Northern California and Southern California residents are now facing serious threats from flames, smoke and ash. More 6,000 firefighters are on the front lines of these incidents; one of which has killed at least five people.
The Camp Fire started around 6:30 a.m. Thursday in Butte County, near Chico. By Thursday evening, the fire had exploded to 20,000 acres and was 0 percent contained. Overnight, the flames grew out-of-control and the fire spread to an estimated 70,000 acres. It was considered just 5 percent contained as of Friday.
SEE ALSO: Alameda County Firefighters Rescue Donkey in Camp Fire
An estimated 2,000 structures have been destroyed in the Camp Fire, and another 15,000 are threatened. At least five people have been killed in the area of Edgewood Lane in Paradise, according to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.
Around 2 p.m. Thursday, the Hill Fire sparked in SoCal, in the Ventura County area. That blaze has now burned more than 6,100 acres, but fire officials said Friday the burn path has shifted in their favor. Still, there are evacuation orders in effect and schools are closed in the area as the danger remains.
“Fortunately for us it is burning into the old footprint in the Springs Fire [of 2013],” fire officials said at a briefing Friday morning.
SEE ALSO: California Wildfires: Camp Fire, Hill Fire Ravage Homes (PHOTOS)
However, Ventura County is also facing the Woolsey Fire, which has burned more than 14,000 acres nearby. That blaze started around 3 p.m. Thursday.
As of Friday afternoon, a total of 95,331 people have been evacuated in Southern California; 17,343 from the Hill Fire and another 77,988 from the Woolsey Fire, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services.
“If you have a mandatory evacuation, please leave,” fire officials pleaded in Friday’s morning update.
Cal Fire officials said that the strong winds that have been fueling the fires are expected to decrease a bit on Friday, but there’s no chance of “significant rainfall” in sight. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news from your California neighborhood. Also, download the free Patch iPhone app or free Patch Android app. Also, be sure to follow your local Patch on Facebook!)
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Camp Fire, Butte County (more info…)
Paradise
• 70,000 acres, 5% contained
• Evacuations and road closures in effect
• CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 4 (Russell) assigned
SEE ALSO: A Peek Into Hell: Here’s What Firefighters Battling Camp Fire See
Hill Fire, Ventura County (more info…)
Santa Rosa Valley
• 6,000 acres, 0% contained
• Evacuations and road closures in effect
• CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 5 (Bravo) assigned
Nurse Fire, Solano County
Suisun City
• 1,500 acres, 90% contained. (more info …)
Woolsey Fire, Ventura County (more info…)
South of Simi Valley
• 14,000 acres, 0% contained
Brushy Fire, Mendocino County (more info…)
West of Covelo
• 35 acres, N/A% contained
Rincon Fire, Santa Cruz County (more info…)
North of Santa Cruz
• 17 acres, 90% contained
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PHOTO: The Camp Fire rages through Paradise, CA., on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Tens of thousands of people fled a fast-moving wildfire Thursday in Northern California, some clutching babies and pets as they abandoned vehicles and struck out on foot ahead of the flames that forced the evacuation of an entire town. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
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