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[h=4]Thousands flee Northern California wildfires[/h]The fire grew quickly, forcing hundreds of residents to flee.
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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.
Valley Fire in Lake County. September 12, 2015.(Photo: KGO)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Thousands of people fled their homes Saturday, as four<span style="color: Red;">*</span>firefighters suffered burns while battling a blaze<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Northern California.
Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said the firefighters, who<span style="color: Red;">*</span>were members of a helicopter crew based in Lake County, each suffered<span style="color: Red;">*</span>second-degree burns. They were airlifted to a hospital and listed<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in stable condition.
The Valley Fire, which<span style="color: Red;">*</span>started Saturday afternoon in Lake County northwest of Sacramento, grew quickly to more than 15 square miles<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and forced residents to flee, Cal Fire reported.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>A total of 139 personnel were fighting the fire.
An unconfirmed number of structures were destroyed. Entire towns as well as residents along a 35-mile stretch of highway were evacuated.
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 15%<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."
View of smoke from Lake County's Valley Fire.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Roy Merrill)
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.
Authorities said Saturday that the fire<span style="color: Red;">*</span>has destroyed 86 homes, and thousand more<span style="color: Red;">*</span>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>About 3,800 firefighters 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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