Evacuations as wildfire hits California

Geyserville, US: A fast-moving wildfire roared through California wine country early Thursday, prompting evacuations and threatening homes as authorities warned of the imminent danger of more fires across much of the state. The Kincade fire in a rural area of Sonoma County kicked up Wednesday night, quickly growing from a blaze of a few hundred acres into an uncontained 10,000-acre (4,000-hectare) inferno, California fire and law enforcement officials said. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for the town of Geyserville after the fire crossed a highway and moved towards homes, the Sonoma County Sheriff´s Office said.

“If you´re in Geyserville, leave now,” the sheriff´s office advised, citing an extraordinary threat to life and property. Winds out of the north were driving the fire south as firefighters worked through the night to evacuate residents and protect structures.

“This fire is moving fast, please pay attention to evacuation orders,” state Senator Mike McGuire said on his Twitter account.

The fire — 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of San Francisco — came amid official warnings that much of northern California and parts of the south were under imminent threat of fires into Friday because of blustery, dry weather.