California fires: Bay Area hit by blazes forcing thousands to evacuate

Thousands of people have had to flee their homes in areas near San Francisco after several quick moving wildfires swept into the region.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency as authorities battle hundreds of fires burning around the state.

Most at risk is the city of Vacaville, home to about 100,000, which lies between San Francisco and Sacramento.

Officials went door-to-door overnight in a frantic effort to clear homes.

According to fire officials, 50 structures have burned down in Vacaville, with another 50 damaged by the fire.

The blaze is thought to have been sparked by lightning and a heat wave on the US West Coast. Earlier this week, one of the highest ever temperatures on Earth was recorded in California’s Death Valley.

The group of fires in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is being called the LNU Lightning Complex, was driven by winds throughout Tuesday night and has now grown to 46,000 uncontained acres.

The fire, which is larger than city of Washington DC, has injured four people and threatens about 2,000 buildings in Vacaville, authorities say.

Source: bbc.com

 

The post California fires: Bay Area hit by blazes forcing thousands to evacuate appeared first on The Chronicle Online.

Read Full Story