The world is burning this 2021 6:35
(CNN) -
Thousands of people had to evacuate after a wildfire started over the weekend in Northern California tripled in size in one day and nearly wiped out a small town, according to authorities.
The Caldor fire "exploded in size Monday night," the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services tweeted Tuesday.
Caldor, burning in El Dorado County, California, has charred more than 12,140 hectares and is 0% controlled, officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection told CNN Tuesday night.
"The fire continues to pose a high risk to multiple populated communities," the department said in an update Tuesday.
Wildfire conditions are expected to continue in the western U.S. into next month
State of emergency in California for the fire
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in El Dorado County Tuesday due to the fire, which struck the Grizzly Flats community, located about 105 kilometers east of Sacramento.
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Many structures have been destroyed and many others are threatened, authorities said.
The fire burned at least one Pioneer Union School District elementary school, a community church and a post office, department officials said.
Two people were airlifted to hospitals after being seriously injured in the area, the department added.
One of the people approached firefighters, who tried to perform first aid before being transferred to a hospital.
Another suffered "serious" injuries.
In all, about 6,850 people were evacuated, according to the emergency services office.
"Additional evacuation orders are anticipated. The fire is forecast to affect Sly Park Lake and interstate highways, including major evacuation routes," the Department said.
Smoke from the Caldor fire spreads.
There are 104 major fires in America
104 active wildfires in the US 1:00
Nationwide, there are 104 major wildfires burning in the U.S., mostly in the west, where drought conditions and red flag warnings continue to fuel raging fires, according to the National and Interagency Fire Center (NIFC per its acronym in English).
"As a result of the elevated to critical fire weather conditions, nearly all of the ongoing large fires were active throughout the northern, northwestern, and northern Rockies area of operations, with many of the fires showing rapid growth. and significant. New large fires also erupted in north-central / eastern Montana and eastern Washington, "the NIFC said.
Another rapidly evolving fire alarming authorities is the Ford Corkscrew, which burns northwest of Spokane, Washington.
The fire has burned 5,260 hectares, compared to 1,821 hectares that it had reached at 5:30 am local time on Monday.
It started around 1:45 p.m. local time Sunday, according to updates from the district firefighters posted on their Facebook page.
"For most of the summer, our fires have been driven by dry material and topography-induced spread. Now that the resources are so dry, our main concerns for the remainder of summer and fall are wind conditions that they come with these seasonal changes, "says the post on the social network.
Every two days, US wildfires consume an area the size of Washington.
And there's no truce in sight
In Utah, the Parleys Canyon fire was 40% under control, authorities reported Tuesday in a tweet, prompting the lifting of evacuation orders for thousands of homes near the fire.
The fire burned 218 hectares, authorities said.
"Thanks to the rain at the #ParleysCanyonFire, all residents will be able to go home after 8 PM!" Firefighters said.
On Saturday, more than 6,000 homes in the Summit Park, Pine Brook, Lambs Canyon and Mill Creek communities were evacuated.
The biggest fire in the country continues to grow
Meanwhile, the Dixie fire, the largest in the country today, has grown in size while its containment remains stagnant.
What is also the second largest wildfire in California history has already devastated 253,637 hectares with just 31% of the fire controlled.
Additionally, windy and red flag conditions are expected in the coming days, according to the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Dixie fire devastates more than 244,000 hectares and hundreds of homes
"Concentrations, individual and group tree burning contributed to the growth of the fire. Challenges to the control lines occurred in many divisions as fuel conditions allowed for steady growth," the Department said.
"Wind gusts have reached 30 miles per hour and relative humidity is expected to continue to drop as the cold front approaches," he added.
The fire is burning through the Californian counties of Plumas, Butte, Tehama and Lassen;
it has destroyed 1,208 structures, including 645 individual residences, the department said.
More than 16,085 structures remain threatened by the flames.
According to the authorities, three members of the immediate response teams have been injured in the fight against the fire.
The Trinity County Sheriff's Department issued mandatory evacuation orders Tuesday night for many residences in the city of Mineral, Tehama County.
Several evacuation orders and warnings were also issued Tuesday in Lassen County.
Chris Boyette and Alexandra Meeks contributed to this report.
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