HAUNTING MOMENT TERRIFIED DRIVER FLEES ENORMOUS CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
Teeth clenched with fear as he grips the steering wheel of his Toyota Yaris, this is the terrified face of a California man fleeing huge wildfires in the Golden State.
The unidentified resident is one of over 28,000 who've been ordered to evacuate Butte county after the Thompson wildfire burned through more than 3,000 acres - with further destruction a certainty.
The fire broke out just before noon on Tuesday around 70 miles north of the state capital Sacramento, and has since grown to nearly 4.7 square miles.
Governor Gavin Newsom has had to declare a state of emergency, as crews battled to try and contain the raging inferno which can be seen from space.
Images captured in the area show helicopters dropping water on the flames while brave firefighters attempted to battle the fire on the ground.
Cal Fire said that the blaze had grown to over 3,500 acres on Wednesday afternoon and was zero percent contained in an update.
CBS News reported that over a dozen aircraft, 50 engines and 15 dozers were currently engaged in the firefight.
They also said that four firefighters had been injured battling the blaze, with 1,400 crew members attending the scene alongside eight helicopters.
Due to the fires, around 13,000 people around the east of Lake Oroville were ordered to evacuate according to Butte County Sheriff's Office.
Residents stood on hillsides in the night, watching the orange glow, as aircraft made water drops to keep the fire from spreading.
A crew of more than a dozen firefighters saved one home as goats and other farm animals ran to find safety.
Garret Sjolund, the Butte County unit chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said: 'The conditions out there that are in our county this summer are much different than we´ve experienced the last two summers.
'The fuels are very dense, brush is dry. And as you can see, any wind will, move a fire out very quickly.'
The ongoing conditions have led Pacific Gas & Electric to implement targeted public safety power shutoffs in parts of Northern California to prevent fires from being ignited by downed or damaged wires.
Oroville is expected to see record high temperatures of 110 or over for the next five days, with warnings that Saturday may reach an all-time record high of 113.
Meanwhile the Basin Fire in Fresno County has burned over 13,000 acres and is currently only 26 percent contained.
California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in a bid to ensure resources are available to help battle the ongoing blazes.
Newsom said: 'We are using every available tool to tackle this fire and will continue to work closely with our local and federal partners to support impacted communities.
'As we head into some of the most challenging months of wildfire season, the state is better prepared than ever to protect at-risk communities with new tools, technology and resources.'
Authorities have warned of full legal consequences for any illegal use of fireworks during the Fourth of July holiday.
'Don´t be an idiot, cause a fire and create more problems for us,' said Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea.
'No one in the community is going to want that. And we certainly don´t want this.'
The ongoing blaze comes as California was already on high alert for wildfires, with incessant high temperatures and winds exacerbating fire risks.
Parts of the state have already been subjected to 'extreme' levels of heat risk, according to the National Weather Service's Index.
The conditions could last until Sunday or longer, with some areas being warned that life-threatening triple digit temperatures could linger.
The conditions have been caused by a ridge of high pressure just off the West Coast and a separate ridge that spawned heat warnings and advisories from Kansas and Missouri to the Gulf Coast states, according to the National Weather Service.
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