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[h=4]4 firefighters suffer burns battling new Calif. blaze[/h]SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A wildfire that grew rapidly in Northern California, forcing some residents to evacuate their homes.
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California Governor Jerry Brown has issued a state of emergency for areas surrounding the explosive Butte Fire. It has grown to about 100 square miles, forcing residents to flee their homes.
Cal Fire crews work to battle the Butte Fire in Amador and Calaveras counties on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. The wildland fire, which ignited Wednesday afternoon, grew to 4,000 acres within 24 hours.(Photo: Mark Pepper/ABC10)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Four<span style="color: Red;">*</span>firefighters suffered burns Saturday<span style="color: Red;">*</span>while battling a blaze<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Northern California, state fire officials said.
Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant says the injured firefighters were members of a helicopter crew based in Lake County. They were airlifted to a hospital burn unit for treatment; their conditions have not been released.
The Valley Fire, which<span style="color: Red;">*</span>started Saturday afternoon in Lake County northwest of Sacramento, has burned about 400 acres, Cal Fire reported.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>A total of 139 personnel are fighting the fire.
Mandatory evacuations were in place for the community of Cobb,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a town of roughly 1,800 residents, as well as guests of the Harbin Hot Springs retreat, officials said.
The cause of the Valley Fire is under investigation
Meanwhile, a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>wildfire that grew rapidly over two days in Amador and Calaveras counties<span style="color: Red;">*</span>was about 10%<span style="color: Red;">*</span>contained Saturday,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and firefighters continued to battle the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>blaze that forced some residents to evacuate their homes.
The Butte Fire had grown to about 101 square miles Friday night.
"It's expanding like a balloon," said state fire spokeswoman Nancy Longmore. "It's moving very fast. There's many homes threatened. … This fire is extremely dangerous."
Bright orange flames burning in the hills were visible from the edge of San Andreas, a gold-rush town about 60 miles southeast of Sacramento whose 2,700 residents were all told to evacuate briefly Friday before the fire shifted and they were allowed stay — for now.
Cooler weather was forecast for later Saturday, but people in San Andreas were told they may still have to clear out.
"You are advised that if you see smoke or fire approaching your community, evacuate the area immediately to a safe location," Cal Fire Incident Commander Phill Veneris said in a press release.
Hundreds of people from smaller surrounding communities fled their homes and filled up evacuation centers, one of which had to be moved twice to get it a safe distance from the flames.
Michelle Griffiths checked on livestock Saturday in Angels Camp, a quaint town made famous by Mark Twain’s “The Celebrated Tale of the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” She spent much of the night rescuing her neighbors’ four horses and several cats from their home in Mountain Ranch in the foothills threatened by the fire.
“People were running for their lives two nights ago,” which is when her neighbors left their house and livestock for a motel, Griffiths said.
“Fortunately, our house is still standing” and so is the neighbors’, she said.
As of Saturday morning, the blaze had destroyed 15 structures; another 6,400 structures are threatened.
The fire started around 2:30 p.m. PT Wednesday just east of the town of Jackson.
Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Friday for Amador and Calaveras.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>More than 1,500 firefighters, 178 engines, seven air tankers and 16 helicopters were assigned to fight the fire. The cause is under investigation.
Approximately 6,400 utility customers were<span style="color: Red;">*</span>without power in the wildfire area, according to PG&E. The company reported that<span style="color: Red;">*</span>4,000 of those customers are in Calaveras County and the other 2,400 are in Amador.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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