In just less than a day, the Caldor Fire that began in less than a week has massively increased and leaped from burning 6, 000 to 54, 000 acres of land. The fire is nowhere near contained, causing forced evacuations to nearby affected areas.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, high winds, low humidity, dry fuels, and a soaring triple-digit temperature caused the fire to grow rapidly. “The Caldor Fire continued to experience unprecedented fire behavior and growth due to extremely dry fuels pushed by the south west winds,” Cal Fire said in an update.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that residents of the county have already left their homes and are now in a sheltered area due to the Caldor fire. The site is already full and has no more capacity to have additional evacuees.
As a result of the rapid spread of fire, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Tuesday.
The fast-growing fire has already destroyed communities in the area of Grizzly Flats and has burned one school, a community church, and a post office. The Grizzly Flats is just 65 miles outside Sacramento.
On the other hand, the Dixie fire is now gearing in the direction of one of the biggest urban areas, Susanville, with a population of 15, 000 and the fire is only 31 percent contained.
