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Northern California wildfire threatening structures

The blaze, named the Wragg Fire, started Wednesday afternoon near Lake Berryessa and Napa Valley.

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Cal Fire spokeswoman Suzie Blankenship said local firefighting resources are also being sent out of the area to battle other blazes, including a major fire in Placer County.

Firefighters used air tankers to fight the blaze.

The fire in Sierra Nevada foothills is 15 percent contained and burning in heavy, drought-stricken timber. Canyon Creek and Lake Solano campgrounds and Canyon Area hikers have also been evacuated.

The Wragg Fire 2015 overnight grew from 6000 to 6900 acres, officials tell news.

Cal Fire said Sunday that it downgraded the size of the fire after doing better mapping of the burned area.

More than 520 firefighters are battling the flames in rugged, steep, brush-covered terrain that has been hard to access. Later, Glacier County and Blackfeet tribal authorities began the evacuations of the homes along St. Mary Lake.

“All we can have is a good attitude toward it”, he said.

“The fuels are scary this year”, Sapeta observed.

“It’s been nonstop, but we’re fortunate that fires have not been large and damaging so far”, he said.

Crews were attacking the flames from every angle, with planes and helicopters from above and firefighters on the ground.

One outbuilding and a tent trailer have been destroyed by the fire with another structure damaged, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. The fire is slowing down, but dozens of people were still out of their homes Friday.

“Bulldozers and inmate hand crews are what put these types of fires out”, Fletcher said.

Evacuations were lifted Thursday night for residents in the Golden Bear Estates area and for residents of County Road 87.

In another example of El Niño’s impact, a band of thunderstorms lashed Yosemite National Park, triggering mud and rock slides on Highway 140, which remained closed Thursday.

“I was most proud to hear that when they were asked to evacuate, they did”, Sapeta said. Another problem comes when spectators arrive to watch.

A plane drops retardant above the Wragg fire near Winters, Calif., on Thursday, July 23, 2015.

Be proactive – Use the “Flag as Inappropriate” link at the upper right corner of each comment to let us know of abusive posts. “But we’re not out of the woods yet”.

“It was smoldering and smoking just like a normal fire”, Lakota Duncan said.

“We’re at the top of our situational awareness”, Sapeta said.

The fire resembles one from last summer in the same area.

As many as 525 fire personnel are actively working on the containment lines. Similar numbers remained on the scene Friday.

The fire was at 200 acres at 3:50 p.m. YubaNet.com reports the fire is burning near power lines and has cut the power to Nevada City.

“People started to panic and started leaving immediately”, she said.

“It’s awful to be away from your home”, Walker said.

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Winters resident Chris Rose noticed how the blaze and winds had turned his hometown into what looks like the fictional video game and movie town of Silent Hill.

Lake Berryessa fire