Authorities in Northern California ordered the evacuation of about 13,000 residents in Butte County on Tuesday night after a wildfire spread and burned more than 3,000 acres as of Wednesday morning.
Cal Fire said the fire broke out Tuesday morning and that the cause was under investigation. It was unclear how many structures were damaged in the blaze, called the Thompson Fire, but photos showed several homes and cars engulfed in flames. No deaths had been reported as of Wednesday morning.
About 13,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, Butte County Sheriff Corey Honea said at a news conference Tuesday night. Many of the evacuation orders affected the city of Oroville, California, about 68 miles north of Sacramento and with a population of about 20,000.
The California Department of Water Resources said Tuesday night that evacuation orders affected several of the state's water utilities, but that Oroville Dam, the tallest dam in the United States, was not at risk.
The fire risk in Northern California has been exacerbated this week by low humidity and gusty winds, which can cause fires to spread rapidly. Red flag fire warnings, meaning weather conditions are increasing the risk of wildfires, were issued in more than a dozen counties on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A dangerous heat wave is also hitting Northern California, with temperatures expected to reach more than 110 degrees on Wednesday in cities including Sacramento, Chico and Redding. The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning affecting most of Northern California, including Oroville.
Officials urged people to be especially careful with fireworks during the Independence Day holiday. Fireworks are illegal in Butte County except in the cities of Oroville, Gridley and Biggs, where fireworks with “safe and sane” stickers are allowed.
“The last thing we need is someone who buys fireworks from their local fireworks stand and then goes out and does something stupid,” Sheriff Honea said. “Don't do anything stupid, start a fire and cause us more problems.”
Sheriff Honea noted that this year has been a particularly bad fire season, with several fires breaking out recently in the county.
Last week, Palermo residents were ordered to evacuate due to the Apache Fire, which has burned 691 acres and is under control. The Junes Fire started June 15 and burned 1,056 acres before being contained in three days. There were also two smaller fires burning last month, the Bar Fire, which burned 36 acres, and the Rocky Fire, which burned 18 acres.
Butte County is home to the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history: the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and destroyed more than 90% of the homes in Paradise, a small town about 20 miles north of Oroville.
California utility Pacific Gas & Electric said Monday it may have to shut off power to parts of Northern California, including Butte County, later this week due to heightened fire danger. The Sacramento Bee reported that the company cut power to about 2,000 homes and businesses in eight counties on Tuesday and is working quickly to restore service.
The Camp Fire was started by PG&E equipment, and the company has pleaded guilty to 84 counts of negligence for its role in the blaze. PG&E has also paid tens of millions of dollars in fines and other costs in lawsuits related to the fire.