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| Explosive wildfire threatens California mountain towns as blaze intensifies | Explosive wildfire threatens California mountain towns as blaze intensifies |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A mountain town is standing by to evacuate on Saturday and residents across a huge swath of northern California have been warned of “explosive fire conditions” as a fierce wildfire across more than 100 square miles suddenly intensified. | A mountain town is standing by to evacuate on Saturday and residents across a huge swath of northern California have been warned of “explosive fire conditions” as a fierce wildfire across more than 100 square miles suddenly intensified. |
| California governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for the counties experiencing the inferno, as it approaches the town of San Andreas, about 60 miles south-east of Sacramento in the Sierra Nevada region. | California governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for the counties experiencing the inferno, as it approaches the town of San Andreas, about 60 miles south-east of Sacramento in the Sierra Nevada region. |
| Some homes have been engulfed and thousands are threatened with imminent destruction in the path of flames that are spreading over steep landscape. | Some homes have been engulfed and thousands are threatened with imminent destruction in the path of flames that are spreading over steep landscape. |
| The gradients help the fires grow by sending heat up slopes and increasing ground temperatures ahead of the flames while making it extremely difficult for the emergency services to tackle the blaze. | The gradients help the fires grow by sending heat up slopes and increasing ground temperatures ahead of the flames while making it extremely difficult for the emergency services to tackle the blaze. |
| A blaze that covered one square mile on Thursday quickly burned more than 100 square miles and was only 5% contained by Friday evening. By Saturday afternoon, firefighters had gained some ground and containment had increased to about 10%, fire officials said. | |
| The gold rush town of San Andreas, with a population of 2,700, had been put under a mandatory evacuation order on Friday. But the fire then changed direction abruptly and people were told merely to prepare to evacuate at short notice. | The gold rush town of San Andreas, with a population of 2,700, had been put under a mandatory evacuation order on Friday. But the fire then changed direction abruptly and people were told merely to prepare to evacuate at short notice. |
| On Saturday morning the town was once again on the brink of being ordered to empty out as the fire swells rapidly. | |
| “If you see smoke or fire approaching your community, evacuate the area immediately,” Incident commander Phil Veneris of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, warned residents of San Andreas and the surrounding two counties. | “If you see smoke or fire approaching your community, evacuate the area immediately,” Incident commander Phil Veneris of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, warned residents of San Andreas and the surrounding two counties. |
| The department has warned the region to be prepared for “explosive fire conditions”. | The department has warned the region to be prepared for “explosive fire conditions”. |
| The exact cause of the latest wildfire has yet to be established. But conditions are extremely dangerous as a recent heat wave bringing temperatures in the 90s has added to the intense drought now in its fourth year in California, turning the bone-dry countryside into a massive tinderbox. | The exact cause of the latest wildfire has yet to be established. But conditions are extremely dangerous as a recent heat wave bringing temperatures in the 90s has added to the intense drought now in its fourth year in California, turning the bone-dry countryside into a massive tinderbox. |
| “It’s expanding like a balloon. It’s moving very fast and is extremely dangerous,” said Nancy Longmore, California state fire spokeswoman. | “It’s expanding like a balloon. It’s moving very fast and is extremely dangerous,” said Nancy Longmore, California state fire spokeswoman. |
| More than 2,500 firefighters and 20 air tankers flying over the flames dumping retardant “from sunup to sundown” have barely contained the blaze in the roasting conditions and steep terrain, the department admitted. | More than 2,500 firefighters and 20 air tankers flying over the flames dumping retardant “from sunup to sundown” have barely contained the blaze in the roasting conditions and steep terrain, the department admitted. |
| In the region around San Andreas six homes had been destroyed by Friday night and more than 6,400 were threatened in the wildfire that broke out on Wednesday afternoon and has been dubbed the Butte fire. | In the region around San Andreas six homes had been destroyed by Friday night and more than 6,400 were threatened in the wildfire that broke out on Wednesday afternoon and has been dubbed the Butte fire. |
| Related: Northern California wildfire forces evacuation of wild cats from park | Related: Northern California wildfire forces evacuation of wild cats from park |
| It started slowly and then spread rapidly, expanding in all directions but burning especially swiftly towards the south. | It started slowly and then spread rapidly, expanding in all directions but burning especially swiftly towards the south. |
| “We feel so small in a big ocean right now,” firefighter Matt Sisneros said of the expanse of leaping flames. Some firefighters are working 18-hour shifts to try to contain the blaze. | “We feel so small in a big ocean right now,” firefighter Matt Sisneros said of the expanse of leaping flames. Some firefighters are working 18-hour shifts to try to contain the blaze. |
| San Andreas resident Fred Oshiro, 85, said that he, his wife and his sister-in-law had loaded up the car gone in search of the local evacuation center. | San Andreas resident Fred Oshiro, 85, said that he, his wife and his sister-in-law had loaded up the car gone in search of the local evacuation center. |
| “We were going to stay in the house and watch the fire but the sheriff said you’d better take a hike,” he said. | “We were going to stay in the house and watch the fire but the sheriff said you’d better take a hike,” he said. |
| “If the house burns down we’ll lose a lot. There’s the three of us and some essentials,” he added. | “If the house burns down we’ll lose a lot. There’s the three of us and some essentials,” he added. |
| Meanwhile, in central California between the city of Fresno and the Kings Canyon National Park, firefighters are digging trenches to try to stop wildfires reaching a growth of ancient giant sequoia trees in the Sierra Nevada, where the towering specimens are often found to be 3,000 years old. | Meanwhile, in central California between the city of Fresno and the Kings Canyon National Park, firefighters are digging trenches to try to stop wildfires reaching a growth of ancient giant sequoia trees in the Sierra Nevada, where the towering specimens are often found to be 3,000 years old. |
| The Grant Grove of sequoias is named for the majestic General Grant tree in its midst, which is 268 feet tall. Lightning caused a fire more than a week ago that has now spread to an area of 40 square miles. | The Grant Grove of sequoias is named for the majestic General Grant tree in its midst, which is 268 feet tall. Lightning caused a fire more than a week ago that has now spread to an area of 40 square miles. |
| And in the tiny village of Dunlap in the area, with just 130 residents, sheriff’s deputies have been going door to door handing out mandatory evacuation notices. | And in the tiny village of Dunlap in the area, with just 130 residents, sheriff’s deputies have been going door to door handing out mandatory evacuation notices. |