Four firefighters battling a rapidly growing blaze in Northern California were injured Saturday as flames swept through thousands of acres and forced people out of their homes, authorities said.
A spokesman with the California Department of Fire and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire, tweeted that the four firefighters were taken to a nearby burn center to be treated. Cal Fire later said the firefighters suffered second degree burns.
The injured firefighters were identified only as being from Copter 104, one of three helicopters battling the blaze from the air Saturday. They were in stable condition as of Saturday evening.
The fire in Lake County, just north of Sacramento, was sparked at 1:24 p.m., but quickly swelled to thousands of acres, forcing several evacuations and the closure of nearby roads.
It was not immediately clear how many homes were affected by the evacuations, but they included the community of Cobb, Hidden Valley Lake, and Middletown.
According to Cal Fire, 139 firefighters, 10 fire engines, three helicopters, and five air tankers were working to reign in the blaze, now dubbed the Valley Fire.
Flames were being spread with the help of oak grass and timber in the area, sending large plumes of black smoke that covered the sky in the area.
The fire had burned about 400 acres by 4 p.m., but by 7 p.m. authorities said the fire scorched through 10,000 acres.
The Valley Fire is one of 13 active brush fires that Cal Fire crews are currently battling.
It has also been a treacherous fire season for the West Coast. Three firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service were killed in August while fighting a brush fire in Washington. Another firefighter died in California in July fighting the Frog Fire.
LINK: Three Firefighters Killed In Washington Wildfire Mourned As More Towns Are Evacuated
LINK: Firefighter Killed In California Wildfire
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