Smoke Settles Above Bay Area as Northern California Wildfires Burn

Evacuations have been ordered as dry, hot winds fuel a wildfire burning out of control in Northern California, sending a stream of smoke some 75 miles south into the San Francisco Bay Area.

Officials say Sunday that the County Fire in Yolo County has charred more than 16,500 acres — 25 square miles — of dry brush and is threatening structures in ranch land northwest of Sacramento. No injuries are reported.

Mandatory evacuations are in place for County Road 63 to County Road 76, areas west of Highway 16 and the Murphy Ranch area, according to Cal Fire. An evacuation center has been established at Rumsey Grange Hall.

The County Fire is one of two major wildfires in the northern part of the state, where temperatures are soaring and winds are relentless.

The Pawnee Fire burning for several days in Lake County jumped containment lines Saturday, prompting additional evacuation orders. That fire is more than 70 percent contained after charring 14,150 acres — about 22 square miles — of brush.

The blaze has wiped out 22 structures, according to Cal Fire. Fifty remained threatened as of Sunday morning.

Air quality in the North Bay, San Francisco, and parts of the Peninsula and East Bay was rated as moderate Sunday morning, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The air in the South Bay was rated as good.