More than 28,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes due to a wildfire in northern California, officials said Wednesday.
The Thompson Fire broke out Tuesday morning in Oroville, approximately 65 miles north of Sacramento. By Wednesday morning, the fire had grown to 3,002 acres with zero containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The cause is under investigation.
The flames have destroyed at least four structures and threatened 12,000 others while affecting numerous power lines, Butte County Fire Department spokesperson Rick Carhart said. 1,438 personnel have been deployed to fight the fire, including 18 firefighters sent by the San Francisco Fire Department.
Video posted to social media shows large clouds of orange-gray smoke rising from the fire above Oroville.
There have not been any reports of civilian injuries, Carhart said, but four firefighters suffered from minor heat-related injuries.
“California is using every available tool to tackle this fire & will continue to support impacted communities,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in declaring a state of emergency for Butte County.
In a statement Wednesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it had approved federal funds Tuesday night for assisting California in suppressing the fire.
Shortly after the fire began on Tuesday, Oroville residents were ordered to evacuate. Butte County has set up two evacuation shelters: one at the Oroville Church of the Nazarene and the other at Gridley Fairgrounds.
The Thompson Fire is one of 17 that remain ablaze in the state, as a dangerous heat wave sweeps across the West ahead of the long Fourth of July weekend. Excessive heat and the risk of wildfire have already impacted holiday plans, with the city of St. Helena postponing its fireworks show and the city of Antioch canceling its Independence Day Parade.
A total of 2,934 California wildfires have burned more than 139,500 acres this year alone.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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