Camp Fire near Chico: California wildfire spreads to 5000 acres; thousands evacuated

Evacuations were ordered in Butte County Thursday after a wildfire grew to more than 1,000 acres.

Evacuations were ordered in Butte County Thursday after a wildfire grew to more than 1,000 acres.
Photo: Twitter / Cal Fire Butte Unit
The massive plume from the Camp Fire, burning in the Feather River Canyon near Paradise, Calif., wafts over the Sacramento Valley as seen from Chico, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Authorities in Northern California have ordered mandatory evacuations in a rural area where the wildfire has grown to 1,000 acres (405 hectares) amid hot and windy weather. (David Little/Chico Enterprise-Record via AP) less

The massive plume from the Camp Fire, burning in the Feather River Canyon near Paradise, Calif., wafts over the Sacramento Valley as seen from Chico, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Authorities in Northern ... more
Photo: David Little, AP
Smoke blankets the air over the California State University, Chico, which is 15 miles from the Camp Fire burning near Paradise, Calif. on Nov. 8, 2018.

Smoke blankets the air over the California State University, Chico, which is 15 miles from the Camp Fire burning near Paradise, Calif. on Nov. 8, 2018.
Photo: Cal Fire
Twitter user jackieglazerr captured dark plumes of smoke from the Camp Fire filling the sky over Fair Street in Chico.

Twitter user jackieglazerr captured dark plumes of smoke from the Camp Fire filling the sky over Fair Street in Chico.
Photo: Twitter
Nicole Kowalczyke of Chico stepped outside to look at smoke from the Camp Fire Thursday morning, and a singed piece of paper fell from the sky.

Nicole Kowalczyke of Chico stepped outside to look at smoke from the Camp Fire Thursday morning, and a singed piece of paper fell from the sky.
Photo: Nicole Kowalczyke
Napa County residents reported seeing smoke from the Camp Fire north of Sacramento on Nov. 8, 2018.

Napa County residents reported seeing smoke from the Camp Fire north of Sacramento on Nov. 8, 2018.
Photo: Craig Philpott
Smoke blankets the air over the California State University, Chico, which is 15 miles from the Camp Fire burning near Paradise, Calif. on Nov. 8, 2018.

Smoke blankets the air over the California State University, Chico, which is 15 miles from the Camp Fire burning near Paradise, Calif. on Nov. 8, 2018.
Photo: Twitter
Evacuations were ordered in Butte County Thursday after a wildfire grew to more than 1,000 acres.

Evacuations were ordered in Butte County Thursday after a wildfire grew to more than 1,000 acres.
Photo: Twitter / Cal Fire Butte Unit
Twitter user jackieglazerr captured dark plumes of smoke from the Camp Fire filling the sky over Fair Street in Chico.

Twitter user jackieglazerr captured dark plumes of smoke from the Camp Fire filling the sky over Fair Street in Chico.
Photo: Twitter
Evacuations were ordered in Butte County Thursday after a wildfire grew to more than 1,000 acres.

Evacuations were ordered in Butte County Thursday after a wildfire grew to more than 1,000 acres.
Photo: Twitter / Cal Fire Butte Unit
Smoke blankets the air over the California State University, Chico, which is 15 miles from the Camp Fire burning near Paradise, Calif. on Nov. 8, 2018.

Smoke blankets the air over the California State University, Chico, which is 15 miles from the Camp Fire burning near Paradise, Calif. on Nov. 8, 2018.
Photo: Twitter
Smoke blankets the air over the California State University, Chico, which is 15 miles from the Camp Fire burning near Paradise, Calif. on Nov. 8, 2018.

Smoke blankets the air over the California State University, Chico, which is 15 miles from the Camp Fire burning near Paradise, Calif. on Nov. 8, 2018.
Photo: Twitter
Smoke blankets the air over the California State University, Chico, which is 15 miles from the Camp Fire burning near Paradise, Calif. on Nov. 8, 2018.

Smoke blankets the air over the California State University, Chico, which is 15 miles from the Camp Fire burning near Paradise, Calif. on Nov. 8, 2018.
Photo: Twitter
Evacuations were ordered in Butte County Thursday after a wildfire grew to more than 1,000 acres.

Evacuations were ordered in Butte County Thursday after a wildfire grew to more than 1,000 acres.
Photo: Twitter / Cal Fire Butte Unit

Photo: Twitter / Cal Fire Butte Unit

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Caption

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Evacuations were ordered in Butte County Thursday after a wildfire grew to more than 1,000 acres.

Photo: Twitter / Cal Fire Butte Unit

Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate several Sierra foothills towns near Chico on Thursday as a wildfire raged out of control, growing rapidly to more than 5,000 acres.

The blaze, dubbed the Camp Fire, started in the area of Camp Creek Road and Pulga Road near Highway 70 in the Feather River Canyon, said officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

#CampFire On Skyway in Paradise CA. Two spot fires on skyway as of 20 mins ago #CalFire pic.twitter.com/6HbjUBYbEP
— Alan (@AlanIngram02) November 8, 2018

No injuries have been reported as of 10:51 a.m. Thursday, and investigators do not know what sparked the fire.

The Butte County towns of Pulga and Concow and most of Paradise were evacuated shortly after the fire started about 6:30 a.m. All areas of Paradise except Lower Neil Road are under mandatory evacuation orders, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Skyway Road is closed as of 9:40 a.m., CHP officials said, and residents are being asked to evacuate using alternate roads. Caltrans announced at 9:57 a.m. that officers had shut down Highway 70 south of the fire, extending down to northbound Highway 149.

The Paradise Unified School District and Butte College closed their doors Thursday morning under evacuation orders from fire officials. Feather River Hospital in Paradise was also being evacuated as of 9 a.m. The fire had jumped a road leading to the hospital.

As of noon Thursday, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. reported that 34,280 customers in Butte County and neighboring Plumas had lost power. The outages began at 7:45 a.m. near Big Bend and Concow, PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno said.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said at 10:30 a.m. that it had cut off power to about 14,000 customers in Butte and neighboring Plumas counties at the request of Cal Fire officials.

On social media, residents reported dark orange and black skies, with ash raining down on windshields.

#campfire from Fair street in Chico. My little heart is breaking for the Ridge. Stay safe Paradise and surrounding communities pic.twitter.com/wCXS7gE9dD
— jackie (@jackieglazerr) November 8, 2018

A smoke advisory has been issued for the Bay Area through Friday, air district officials said. Residents may see or smell smoke from the Camp Fire.

Nearly 27,000 people call Paradise home. The incorporated town is about 10 miles east of Chico in the foothills north of Sacramento.

Pulga and Concow are both small, rural unincorporated communities in Butte County. Concow has about 710 residents. Pulga had two residents when it was sold in 2015, according to media reports.

Several shelters have opened in Butte County to accommodate evacuees:

•Oroville Nazarene Church at 2238 Monte Vista Avenue. in Oroville

•Neighborhood Church at 2801 Notre Dame Boulevard in Chico

•East Ave Church at 1185 East Avenue in Chico

•Butte County Fairgrounds at 199 East Hazel Street in Gridley

•The Old County Hospital at 2279 Del Oro Ave. in Orovile is accepting small animals

Megan Cassidy and Gwendolyn Wu are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy @gwendolynawu

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