More than 28,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes due to a wildfire in Northern California, authorities said Wednesday.
The Thompson Fire broke out Tuesday morning in Oroville, about 65 miles north of Sacramento. As of Wednesday morning, the fire had grown to 3,000 acres with no means of containing it, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The flames destroyed at least four structures and threatened 12,000 others, while affecting numerous power lines, Butte County Fire Department spokesman Rick Carhart said. 1,438 personnel were deployed to fight the blaze, including 18 firefighters from the San Francisco Fire Department.
Video posted on social media shows large clouds of orange-gray smoke rising from the fire above Oroville.
No civilian injuries were reported, Carhart said, but four firefighters suffered minor heat-related injuries.
“California is using every tool available to fight this fire and will continue to support impacted communities,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said in declaring a state of emergency for Butte County.
In a statement Wednesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it approved federal funds Tuesday night to help California put out the fire.
Shortly after the fire broke out Tuesday, Oroville residents were ordered to evacuate. Butte County set up two evacuation shelters: one at the Oroville Church of the Nazarene and one at the Gridley Fairgrounds.
The Thompson Fire is one of 17 still burning across the state as a dangerous heat wave sweeps the West ahead of the long July 4 weekend. The excessive heat and wildfire risk 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.
In total, 2,934 wildfires in California have burned more than 139,500 acres this year alone.
This is a developing story. Please check back regularly for updates.
