Thompson Fire in Northern California forces evacuations as blaze rages
Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate their homes because of a wildfire in Northern California, officials said Wednesday.
Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate their homes because of a wildfire in Northern California, officials said Wednesday.
The Thompson Fire broke out Tuesday morning in Oroville, about 65 miles north of Sacramento. By Wednesday night, it had grown to 3,568 acres with 7% containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The cause is under investigation.
Officials had said 28,000 people were ordered to evacuate. By Wednesday night, some of those orders were reduced to warnings in several zones, and residents in those areas were told they could return home, according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office.
Rachael Thompson, 41, an Oroville resident who lives right outside the lines of evacuation, posted videos on Facebook showing the flames engulfing nearby land.
"We have four air purifiers running," Thompson told NBC News on Wednesday. "It's still extremely smoky but nothing like last night. It was suffocating."
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