Wildfire grew to 550 acres
Associated Press
CHICO, Calif. (AP) — Authorities on Saturday evening lifted an evacuation order after they gained control of a wildfire burning amid hot, dry and windy conditions in a rural area north of Chico.
The fire, which started in a grassy field just after 2 p.m. Saturday, quickly grew to about 550 acres, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. At least one aircraft was sent in to drop retardant over the blaze to slow its spread.
The Butte County Sheriff’s office had ordered a residential area about 85 miles north of Sacramento to evacuate. No homes were damaged, CalFire said in a tweet.
Further south, Yuba City’s fire chief urged residents in the Olivehurst community to stay away as firefighters battle what he called a significant blaze. No further details were released.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning of fire risk for most of the Sacramento Valley and northern San Joaquin Valley, in effect throughout the weekend into Monday evening.
Forecasters warned that low humidity and wind gusts up to 40 mph have the potential to cause fast-moving wildfires.
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