Firefighters in California watch the Rocky fire move up a ridge along Highway 120 in Lake County on Aug. 3, just outside Lower Lake. The Valley fire in Napa and Lake counties killed one person Sunday. File photo by Al Golub/UPI |
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SACRAMENTO, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- The Valley fire in California killed one person on Sunday as it grew to 50,000 acres, prompting Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency in two more counties.
The reported death is being investigated by local law enforcement agencies. Napa and Lake counties are now under a state of emergency, which is expected to help expedite debris removal and waive fees such as for replacing birth certificates if needed for those who were forced to evacuate.
"Firefighters from across California are aggressively fighting the Valley fire that has continued to spread in hot, windy conditions," the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said in a statement. "The fire continues to grow as firefighters work to construct fire lines, while protecting lives and property."
The state of emergency was declared as the Valley fire has "burned thousands of acres of land and caused the evacuation of residents and damage to highways and other infrastructure," according to Brown's proclamation order.
The Valley fire has destroyed more than 400 homes. The Butte fire, affecting Amador and Calaveras counties, has destroyed 135 homes, 79 other buildings and damaged four structures.
The Butte fire is 25 percent contained at a size of 65,300 acres.
"Fire behavior remained moderate ... moving southeast allowing crews to be more effective in perimeter control," Cal Fire said in a statement. "Firefighters continue to fight the fire aggressively but critical fuel moisture levels, steep terrain and limited fire access continue to provide challenges."
