(UTV|COLOMBO) – Thousands of residents are evacuating areas in Northern California as an uncontained wildfire races towards several towns in the Sierra foothills.
The Camp Fire, which started early on Thursday near Camp Creek, has been fuelled by strong winds and dry forest.
Neighbourhoods, schools and hospitals have been evacuated while some residents in the town of Paradise were trapped by the flames, officials say.
Authorities said there are unconfirmed reports of casualties.
The Camp Fire has burned through 20,000 acres as of Thursday afternoon, local time, according to California Fire officials.
As winds approached 50mph (80km/h), causing the fire to grow rapidly in just a few hours, some residents were forced to abandon vehicles and escape on foot, local media reported.
