California wildfires torch 134,000 acres – and counting
By Melissa Gray and Holly Yan, CNN
Updated
7:05 AM EDT, Tue August 4, 2015
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Story highlights
Thousands of firefighters battle California wildfires
Firefighters in steep terrain and rugged conditions in California are fighting nearly two dozen wildfires that have torched more than 134,000 acres, according to state fire officials.
That’s nearly three times the state’s 5-year wildfire average of 48,153 acres for this time of year, according to statistics posted by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
At 60,000 acres, the Rocky Fire is the largest ongoing blaze. It’s led to evacuation orders for more than 13,000 people as it feeds on drought-parched vegetation that hasn’t seen fire in many years, according to Cal Fire.
Photos: California wildfires
Fires burn on a hill in Livermore, California, on Thursday, August 20. California has been battling numerous wildfires as its historic drought reaches a fourth year.
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Jeff Chiu/AP
Photos: California wildfires
The charred remains of a property is seen in Livermore on August 20.
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Jeff Chiu/AP
Photos: California wildfires
A firefighter climbs on the side of a hill while putting out hot spots in Livermore on August 20.
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Jeff Chiu/AP
Photos: California wildfires
Firefighter Mike Martel walks through smoke while working to clean up after a weekend fire that ravaged the Montebello Hills area near Los Angeles on Monday, August 17.
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Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
Photos: California wildfires
Firefighters hose down the smoldering ruins of a building that was burned by the Warm Fire north of Castaic, California, on Sunday, August 16.
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David McNew/Getty Images
Photos: California wildfires
A plane drops fire retardant on the Cabin Fire north of Asuza, California, on Saturday, August 15.
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David McNew/Getty Images
Photos: California wildfires
A crew descends a scorched mountainside in the Angeles National Forest on August 15.
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David McNew/Getty Images
Photos: California wildfires
A burn operation is seen during the Jerusalem Fire, near Lower Lake, California, on Friday, August 11.
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Stephen Lam/Getty Images
Photos: California wildfires
Flames from a backfire operation burn through a grove of trees as firefighters try to head off the Rocky Fire on Monday, August 3, near Clearlake, California.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Photos: California wildfires
Firefighters look on as the Rocky Fire burns through trees on Sunday, August 2.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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A Cal Fire truck is driven away from flames as the Rocky Fire burns near Clearlake on August 2.
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Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
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Firefighters light backfires in an attempt to control the blaze near Clearlake on August 2.
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Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
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The Rocky Fire burns near Clearlake on August 2.
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Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
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Flames from the Rocky Fire burn through dry grass August 2 near Clearlake.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Large plumes of smoke rise from the Rocky Fire on Saturday, August 1.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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A firefighting air tanker flies in front of the setting sun while battling the Rocky Fire on August 1.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Heat marks are visible on an air-conditioning unit at a destroyed home in Lower Lake on August 1.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Flames approach a house in Lower Lake on Friday, July 31.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Firefighters spray a hose at a fire near Lower Lake on July 31.
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Jeff Chiu/AP
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A firefighter prepares to douse spot fires in Lower Lake on July 31.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Photos: California wildfires
As the Rocky Fire approaches, goats run from their pen after firefighters freed them on July 31.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Photos: California wildfires
Trees and brush burn while firefighters battle the Wragg Fire near Winters, California, on Thursday, July 23. The fast-moving wildfire had scorched almost 7,000 acres in Napa and Sonoma counties, authorities said.
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Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: California wildfires
A firefighting aircraft drops retardant on a ridge to combat the Wragg Fire on July 23.
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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Photos: California wildfires
Flames from the Pines Fire burn on Saturday, July 18, in Wrightwood, California. The blaze was burning near Mount San Antonio, which is also called Mount Baldy for its snow-capped summit that's highly visible in Los Angeles.
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David Pardo/The Victor Valley Daily Press/AP
Photos: California wildfires
Slow-moving traffic fills the northbound lanes of Interstate 215 near Victorville, California, on Friday, July 17. The traffic was linked to the North Fire, which caused people to abandon their vehicles and flee as flames jumped the freeway.
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David McNew/Getty Images
Photos: California wildfires
The North Fire burns July 17 near Interstate 15 in the Cajon Pass in San Bernardino County.
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Kevin Warn/AP
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Firefighters start a backfire along Baldy Mesa Road late on July 17.
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Kevin Warn/AP
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Smoke from a wildfire rises above Interstate 15 near San Bernardino, California, on July 17.
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Arsenio Alcantar/AP
Photos: California wildfires
The scorched remains of a truck destroyed by the North Fire are towed away near Victorville on July 17.
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David McNew/Getty Images
Photos: California wildfires
A helicopter prepares to drop water over a fire near Oak Hills, California, on July 17.
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ames Quigg/The Victor Valley Daily Press/AP
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Flames rise over a cluster of homes in Oak Hills on July 17.
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James Quigg/The Victor Valley Daily Press/AP
The fire, which is in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties northwest of Sacramento, was 12% contained, the agency said.
“This has been a very fast-moving wildfire, with the dry conditions and the weather not really cooperating with us over the past week,” Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant told CNN affiliate KCRA.
More than 2,900 firefighters, 285 engines, four air tankers and 19 helicopters are battling the Rocky Fire, Cal Fire says. Berlant says that particular blaze is unique because of its burn rate, devouring 20,000 acres in about five hours, he said.
Compared with the state’s top 20 deadliest fires, which have burned 100,000 acres or more of land, “this fire does not compare,” spokesman Berlant told CNN.
But the fire is unique because of the rate it has burned. It chewed through 20,000 acres in about five hours, he said.
Across the state, nearly 10,000 firefighters are working on 21 fires, officials say.
Firefighter loses his own home
Cal Fire says most of the fires are more than 60% contained. But damage has been substantial in some cases. Fires in Southern California’s San Bernardino County and Northern California’s Alpine County have affected nearly 50,000 acres.
Other fires include the Frog Fire, which has burned about 4,200 acres since Thursday. Lower temperatures, higher humidity and clouds helped firefighters push containment to 20%, according to the national fire tracking website InciWeb. The Lake Fire in San Bernardino County burned more than 31,000 acres before it was contained.
Authorities also reported strides in fighting two other fires: the Willow Fire northeast of North Fork in the Sierra National Forest and the Cabin Fire east of Porterville in the Sequoia National Forest.
The 5,700-acre Willow Fire was 70% contained Monday, and an evacuation order for some residents was being lifted.
In the Sequoia National Forest, firefighters reported that rain had helped them establish fire lines against expected growth of the Cabin Fire, which has burned 2,600 acres since mid-July.
Neither the Willow nor the Cabin fires has destroyed any structures, but six people have been injured in the Willow Fire.
Temperatures in Sacramento and other areas of Northern California, where many of the fires are burning, have topped 100 degrees recently.
Lightning has helped fuel the flames. There have been thousands of lightning strikes over the past several days, igniting hundreds of small wildfires in the northern part of the state.
And the accompanying thunderstorms have produced little or no rain, Berlant said.
“This fire was very active throughout the night,” he told KCRA. “It was really burning very fast, all the way up into the late hours, so unfortunately we’re really not getting a break.”
California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Friday, mobilizing the National Guard to support the disaster response.
Firefighter killed
The U.S. Forest Service confirmed David Ruhl, a father of two from Rapid City, South Dakota, died fighting the Frog Fire in Northern California’s Modoc National Forest near Adin. Rescuers found Ruhl’s body Friday morning, the Forest Service said, adding that his death remains under investigation.
Rescuers found Ruhl’s body Friday morning, the Forest Service said. His death remains under investigation.
CNN’s Joe Sutton, Ashley Fantz, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Michael Martinez, Jackie Castillo and Carma Hassan contributed to this report.