US News
Northern California Wildfire Spreads as Thousands are Evacuated
OROVILLE, Calif. — Firefighters lined roads to keep flames from reaching homes as helicopters dropped water on a growing wildfire Wednesday in Northern California that has forced at least 13,000 people to evacuate, with another day of extreme heat expected.
The Thompson fire broke out before noon Tuesday about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Sacramento, in and around the city of Oroville, in Butte County. It sent up a huge plume of smoke and grew to nearly 4.7 square miles (12.1 square kilometers) by Wednesday morning. It was zero percent contained.
The city of about 20,000 people declared a state of emergency Tuesday night. Several homes have been destroyed, KCRA-TV reported Wednesday. There was no word of injuries. Two evacuation centers were set up in Butte County.
More high temperatures above 100 degrees (37.8 Celsius) were forecast Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
The governor’s office announced late Tuesday that federal funding had been approved to help with firefighting efforts. Gov. Gavin Newsom this week activated the State Operations Center to coordinate California’s response, dispatch mutual aid and support communities as they respond to threats of wildfire and excessive heat.
-
US News17h ago
What to Know About the Russia-Linked Bomb Threats in Battleground States on Election Day
-
US News1d ago
Severe Storms in Oklahoma Injure at Least 11 People and Leave Thousands Without Power
-
US News3d ago
More Than a Month Later, Communities Struggle to Rebuild After Hurricanes Helene and Milton
-
US News5d ago
What to Know About the Suspect Behind Ballot Box Fires in the Northwest
-
US News6d ago
Supreme Court Allows Virginia to Resume Its Purge of Voter Registrations
-
US News1w ago
How Communities Impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton Are Celebrating Halloween
-
US News1w ago
The U.S. Tasked Deborah Lipstadt With Monitoring Antisemitism. She’s Been Busy
-
US News1w ago
Kamala Harris Shouldn’t Just Embrace Crypto. She Must Help It Flourish