COBB, CALIFORNIA // An explosive wildfire raced across several rural communities in Northern California, chasing thousands of people from their homes and sending four firefighters to the hospital with second-degree burns.
Driven by high winds and soaring temperatures, the Valley Fire in southern Lake County has grown to 25,000 acres, California fire department spokesman Daniel Berlant said on Twitter.
The fire erupted in Lake County, about 160 kilometres north of San Francisco, on Saturday afternoon and rapidly chewed through brush and trees parched from several years of drought, the California department of forestry and fire protection said.
A number of structures were destroyed, and entire towns as well as residents along a 56km stretch of highway were evacuated.
The firefighters, all members of a helicopter crew, were airlifted to a hospital burn unit, where they were listed in stable condition, said Mr Berlant.
To the east, firefighters battled a blaze about 110km southeast of Sacramento that exploded to more than 260 square kilometres in four days, turning the grassy, tree-studded Sierra Nevada foothills an eerie white.
The fire, which broke out on Wednesday, destroyed 86 homes, 51 outbuildings and was threatening about 6,400 more.
“I lost my business – it’s all burned up – my shop, my house, 28 years of living,” said Joe Thomas, who lives near the community of Mountain Ranch. “I got to start all over. It’s depressing.”
Mr Thomas, who runs a tractor dealership and repair business, said he and his wife grabbed papers, his work computer, photos and their four dogs.
Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, helping free up funding and resources in the firefight. More than 3,850 firefighters were assigned to the blaze, and more were expected to join the firefight.
Wildfires sweeping across the drought-stricken western United States this year could be the costliest on record.
Mr Berlant said that California’s firefighting agency, has so far spent more than $212 million since July alone and about 5,000 firefighters are still assigned to major wildfires.
* Associated Press, with additional reporting from Agence France-Presse