Northern California wildfire destroys hundreds of buildings

Oroville, Calif. (AP) — Tens of thousands of people fled a fast-moving wildfire Thursday in Northern California, some clutching babies and pets as they abandoned vehicles and struck out on foot ahead of the flames that forced the evacuation of an entire town and destroyed hundreds of structures.

Everyone in Paradise, a community of 27,000 people about 180 miles northeast of San Francisco, was ordered to get out. The extent of the injuries and damage was not immediately known. Butte County CalFire Chief Darren Read said at a news conference that two firefighters and multiple residents were injured.

At a late afternoon news conference, Read said he had reports of several hundred destroyed structures in Paradise, but he cautioned that officials had not been able to assess yet.

He said officials won’t have an exact count until they can get into the area. An Associated Press photographer saw dozens of businesses and homes leveled or in flames.

“It’s a very dangerous and very serious situation,” Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said. “We’re doing everything we can to get people out of the affected areas.”

The blaze erupted as windy weather swept the state, creating extreme fire danger. A wind-whipped fire north of Los Angeles in Ventura County burned some 15,000 acres and at least one home in a matter of hours. It prompted evacuations of a mobile home park, a state university campus and a small community.

Acting California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the Northern California fire-stricken area.