California fires map – Caldor & Cache fires burn towns to ground leaving thousands fleeing as horror of blaze revealed
SHOCKING new images show the devastation of Californian towns after wildfires ripped through northern parts of the state.
Thousands of Americans have been forced to flee after the blaze leveled houses to piles of ash and cars to chunks of metal.
Aerial shots of Clearlake, in Lake County, show the full extent of the damage from the ferocious wildfires.
According to Cal Fire officials, the blaze has burned through 75 acres and is 40 percent contained as of Friday.
Lake County Sheriff estimated that between 50 and 60 structures had been lost while stressing that the precise number of buildings damaged was still to come.
Read our Caldor fire live blog for the very latest news and updates…
Two schools in the area were included in the evacuations on Wednesday.
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Going east, the Caldor Fire has covered more than 68,000 acres since it began on August 14 and has forced more than 16,000 residents to evacuate their homes.
“Getting people out of the way of these fires is the best way for us to be able to protect your communities. We need you to evacuate,” the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services urged.
“Please heed the warnings.”
Firefighters have been struggling to slow down the fire which has had zero containment so far.
According to reports, the fire grew 24 times in just two days.
Speaking on Tuesday evening, Eldorado National Forest supervisor Jeff Marsolais talked about the unpredictable fire, Capradio reported.
He said: “We know this fire has done things that nobody could have predicted. But that’s how firefighting has been in the state this year.
“I’ve spent the past four weeks in the North State and every time a fire broke out it outpaced our models two to one.
“We’re seeing the same again here.”
The wildfires, like others in the state, had been fueled by wind and dry conditions, Cal Fire officials said.
“The unfortunate thing is that these fires continue to get bigger,” Cal Fire Director Thom Porter said on Wednesday.
MASS EVACUATION
“But we’re surging resources into communities to protect and reduce the impact.”
The fire began on Saturday however the cause is still unknown.
Darby Flynn, one of the thousands of residents forced to flee the country told KCRA that she was “glad to be able to evacuate and not be caught in the fire”.
“I just kind of grabbed some things and some important artwork that my mom painted for me and something my aunt made for me and that was pretty much it,” she told KCRA.
“Otherwise, I just try to remember that things are things, and most of them you can replace.”
Meanwhile, two people were airlifted to hospital after they were seriously injured, Cal Fire confirmed.
One of those injured approached firefighters who conducted first aid but was later taken to hospital.
An elementary school in the Pioneer Union School District, a church, and a post office also fell victim to the scorching fires.
This year more than 900,000 acres have burned in California alone this year.
The Dixie Fire was the largest in the state and the country and covered more than 600,000 in one month.