California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in five counties on Sunday due to wildfires.
The counties included Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, San Bernardino and San Diego, the governor’s office said in a statement late on Sunday.
The declaration was prompted by the Creek Fire that started on Friday night and rapidly grew to burn some 45 000 acres, forcing evacuations and road closures in the Fresno area in central California.
Eight people were killed and some 3 300 structures destroyed over the past three weeks in wildfires across the state.
Over 200 people were airlifted to safety overnight after a fast-moving wildfire cut off the only road out of the Mammoth Pool Reservoir, a popular recreational site in California’s Sierra National Forest. (Reuters)
