Thousands evacuated as wildfire spreads across Northern California, with more heat expected

Firefighters lined roads to prevent flames from spreading into homes, and helicopters dropped water on a blaze raging in Northern California on Wednesday that forced at least 26,000 people to evacuate due to extreme heat in the state.

The Thompson Fire broke out before noon Tuesday about 70 miles north of Sacramento, in and around the city of Oroville in Butte County. It spewed a massive plume of smoke that could be seen from space as it grew to more than 5.5 square miles. It could not be contained.

But Oroville Mayor David Pittman said there was a “significant decrease in fire activity” Wednesday afternoon and he hopes some residents will be able to return home soon. The fire’s progress has been halted along the southern edge, and firefighters working in steep terrain were trying to build containment lines on the north side.

“The north side is really challenging topography-wise,” Pittman said.

Meanwhile, another fire broke out about 5 miles south of Oroville Wednesday afternoon, prompting new evacuations near the town of Palermo. That blaze, dubbed the Grubbs Fire, also remains out of control.

More than a dozen other fires, mostly small, were active across the state, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. A blaze on Wednesday afternoon briefly prompted evacuations in densely populated Simi Valley, about 40 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

The state’s largest wildfire, the Basin Fire, scorched nearly 22 square miles of the Sierra National Forest in eastern Fresno County and was 26 percent contained.

A state of emergency was declared in Oroville Tuesday evening and evacuation centers were set up. The evacuation zone expanded Wednesday to include foothills and rural areas outside the city of about 20,000 people. With July 4 in mind, officials also warned that fireworks are banned in many areas, including most of Butte County.

There was no immediate official report of property damage. An Associated Press photographer saw the fire engulf three adjacent suburban-style homes in Oroville.

The fire ignited grass sprigs sticking out from the concrete banks of Lake Oroville, and gusty winds tore at American flags lining the bend of the state’s second-largest reservoir and the tallest dam in the country.

Residents stood on hillsides at night, watching the orange glow as planes dropped water to prevent the fire from spreading. A crew of more than a dozen firefighters saved one home as goats and other farm animals ran for cover.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. At the time of the outbreak, there were warnings for critical fire weather conditions, including gusty northerly winds and low humidity.

“The conditions in our county this summer are very different than we’ve experienced in the last two years,” said Garrett Sjolund, Cal Fire’s Butte County fire chief. “The fuel is very dense, the brush is dry. And as you can see, any wind will move the fire very quickly.”

In light of this situation, Pacific Gas & Electric has decided to implement intentional power shutoffs in certain Northern California counties to prevent fires caused by downed or damaged lines.

The heatwave, with triple-digit temperatures possible, is expected to continue next week.

Authorities warn that any illegal use of fireworks during the Fourth of July holiday will result in serious legal consequences.

“Don’t be an idiot, don’t start a fire and cause us more problems,” said Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea. “Nobody in the community wants that. And we certainly don’t want that.”

The governor’s office announced late Tuesday that federal funding had been approved to help fight the wildfires. Gov. Gavin Newsom this week activated the State Operations Center to coordinate California’s response, dispatch mutual aid and support communities responding to threats from wildfires and excessive heat.