NAPA VALLEY, Calif., July 31 (UPI) — California Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday declared a state of emergency as dangerously dry conditions and strong winds fuel the flames of a wildfire that’s so far burned nearly 20,000 acres in the Napa Valley.
The Rocky Fire grew to 18,000 acres on Friday but is only about 5 percent contained, officials said. Friday morning, authorities issued a mandatory evacuation of residents in Jerusalem Valley — which lies about 100 miles north of San Francisco.
So far, nearly 700 residents have fled their homes since the wildfire started Wednesday — spreading quickly because of wind gusts and dehydrated vegetation amid the state’s ongoing severe drought.
“California’s severe drought and extreme weather have turned much of the state into a tinderbox,” Brown said in a statement Friday. “Our courageous firefighters are on the front lines and we’ll do everything we can to help them.”
“I declared a State of Emergency based on the extreme drought that has now persisted in the state for four years,” Brown noted in the state of emergency declaration. “By virtue of the number of fires burning simultaneously, the state’s resources have been significantly committed such that the state will seek the assistance and resources of other states, as necessary.”
The state of emergency will allow resources to be deployed to the fire-ravaged areas quicker, and permit the assistance of the National Guard if officials need it.
The Rocky Fire has so far destroyed three structures and several outbuildings, officials said. More than 8,000 firefighters are working to extinguish 18 different wildfires across California, the Los Angeles Times reported — and firefighters are worried thunderstorms forecast for the weekend could ignite even more.
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