The Caldor Fire in Northern California has forced thousands more to evacuate after it swelled more than 24 times its size in the past two days.
According to Cal Fire, it was fueled by wind and dry conditions and has caused the fire burning in El Dorado County to swell to 62,586 acres and is 0% contained.
An average of more than 10,000 acres was burned per day in El Dorado County since the fire was sparked Saturday. The blaze has so far charred more than 73,400 acres and remains 0% contained.
“With historic drought conditions there is heavy dead and down fuels through the fire area,” Cal Fire said. “Northern California remains under fuels and fire behavior advisory.”
The fire had grown 24 times its size from Monday to Wednesday, but its pace slowed Thursday when it swelled by about 5,000 acres.
“The unfortunate thing is that these fires continue to get bigger,” Thom Porter, Cal Fire Director said at a press conference. “But we’re surging resources into communities to protect and reduce the impact.”
According to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, more than 36,000 residents across nine California counties are under evacuation orders as numerous blazes burn in the state, with 23,000 from El Dorado County.
At evacuation centers, anxiety infused over the stress of enduring yet another fire, another evacuation. Many recalled the King Fire that burned nearly 100,000 acres in El Dorado County in 2014, and the 2018′s Camp Fire more than 100 miles away.
Cal Fire said that the rapid-fire continued to burn through several steep drainages that have a large amount of dry vegetation causing even more evacuations.
Dozens of firefighters also faced dynamic conditions on the ground, including smoke from the nearby Dixie Fire, which has slow down air attacks.
California’s weather has only been making matters worse for those fighting the fires, as well as the thousands who were directed to evacuate their homes.
Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for El Dorado County, mobilizing the California National Guard and freeing up additional resources for impacted communities.
According to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, to protect people from the terrible situation, the number of those evacuated in El Dorado County jumped to 16,380, up from about 6,850 the day prior.
“Getting people out of the way of these fires is the best way for us to be able to protect your communities,” the office insisted,. “We need you to evacuate, please heed the warnings.”
Cal Fire said that two people were airlifted to hospitals after being seriously injured in the area. One person approached firefighters, who tried conducting first aid before the person was taken to a hospital. Another person suffered “severe” injuries.
Local officials said during a news conference that the fire about 100 miles northwest of Sacramento, has destroyed more than 150 vehicles and 137 structures of which 81 are outbuildings.
The rapid spread of the fires prompted the US Forest Service to temporarily close nine national forests in Northern California from August 23 until September 6.
“Fires are running very quickly due to the drought conditions, dry fuels, and winds,” Jennifer Eberlien, Regional Forester said in a news release. “This makes initial attack and containment very difficult and is even more challenging with strained resources who are battling more than 100 large fires across the country.”
“These temporary closures are necessary to ensure public and firefighter safety, as well as reduce the potential for new fire starts,” she added.
Officials said that damage assessment has not yet begun as the fire remains active and complex. The fire has destroyed many structures and threatens roughly 6,000 others.
The fire burned at least one elementary school in the Pioneer Union School District, one community church, and one post office.
More than 11,000 firefighters are fighting 13 large wildfires in the state. Since January, the state has recorded a total of 6,603 wildfires that have burned nearly 1.4 million acres.
The cause of the fires is still unknown.