Authorities in Northern California ordered the evacuation of about 13,000 people in Butte County Tuesday night as a wildfire spread, burning more than 3,000 acres by Wednesday morning.
Cal Fire, California’s firefighting agency, said the fire started Tuesday morning and the cause is under investigation. It was not clear how many structures were damaged by the fire, which is said to have been damaged Thompson fire, but the photos showed several homes and vehicles engulfed in flames. No casualties were reported as of Wednesday morning.
Butte County Sheriff Corey Hona said A news conference About 13,000 people were ordered to evacuate Tuesday night. Many of the evacuation orders affected the city of Oroville, California, which is located about 68 miles north of Sacramento and has a population of about 20,000 people.
Evacuation orders affected many of the state’s water facilities, but there was no threat to Oroville Dam, the tallest dam in the United States. California Department of Water Resources said Tuesday night.
Fire danger in Northern California has worsened this week due to low humidity and strong winds, which can cause fires to spread quickly. Red flag fire warningsThat means more than a dozen counties were at higher risk of wildfires Tuesday and Wednesday due to weather conditions.
Northern California is also experiencing a dangerous heat wave, with temperatures expected to reach 110 and above in cities including Sacramento, Chico and Redding on Wednesday. National Weather Service An overheat warning has been issued It affects most of Northern California, including Oroville.
Officials urged people to be extra cautious about using fireworks during the Fourth of July holiday. In Butte County, fireworks are illegal except in the cities of Oroville, Gridley and Biggs, where “Safe and sound“Seals can be used.
“The last thing we need is someone buying fireworks at the local fire stand and going out and doing something stupid,” said Sheriff Honiah. “Don’t be a fool, start a fire and create more problems for us.”
Sheriff Honea said this was a particularly bad fire season and noted that the county had recently had several fires.
Last week, residents of the city of Palermo were ordered to evacuate because of the Apache Fire, which burned 691 acres and is contained. This June fire It started on June 15 and burned 1,056 acres in three days. There were also two small fires last month: The Bar Fire, which burned 36 acres, and the Rocky Fire, which burned 18 acres.
Butte County was the site of one of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in state history. The 2018 Camp Fire killed 85 people and destroyed more than 90 percent of the homes in Paradise, a small town about 20 miles north of Oroville.
Pacific Gas & Electric, a California power utility, said on Monday Due to the increased fire danger, some parts of Northern California, including Butte County, may need to shut off power this week. The utility shut off power to about 2,000 homes and businesses in eight counties on Tuesday. The Sacramento Bee reportedAnd was working quickly to restore it.
The camp fire was caused by PG&E equipment, and the utility pleaded guilty to 84 counts of manslaughter for its role in the fire. PG&E has also paid millions in fines and other costs stemming from court cases related to wildfires.