California Wildfires Forcing Many To Evacuate

Evacuations were ordered as dry, hot winds fueled a wildfire burning out of control Sunday in rural Northern California, sending a stream of smoke some 75 miles south into the Bay Area.

The fast-moving blaze that broke out Saturday in western Yolo County charred at least 50 square miles of dry brush and threatened more than 100 structures in ranchland northwest of Sacramento.

The County Fire started at 2:12 p.m. Sunday in the Guinda area of Yolo County about 15 miles north of Lake Berryessa.

No injuries were reported and the exact number of people evacuated was unclear. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Sunday night that there was 2 percent containment.

It was one of two major wildfires in the northern part of the state, where temperatures were soaring, humidity was dropping and winds were steady.

A blaze burning for several days to the west in Lake County jumped containment lines Saturday, prompting additional evacuation orders. That fire was more than 70 percent contained after charring about 22 square miles of brush and destroying at least 20 structures.