Fast-moving flames engulfed several homes and vehicles in Northern California as 26,000 people evacuated their homes this week, according to a local official, fleeing a wildfire that burned through a region scarred by previous blazes. The official, Mayor David Pittman of Oroville, said emergency shelters in the region had filled up by Wednesday afternoon as the fire continued to spread. Oroville, where many of the residents were told to evacuate, is the seat of Butte County, about 20 miles south of Paradise, where 85 people were killed and nearly the entire town was destroyed six years ago in one of the worst wildfires in American history. California’s firefighting agency, Cal Fire, said that the wildfire began on Tuesday morning, and that its cause was under investigation. It was not clear how many structures had been damaged by the blaze, called the Thompson fire.

---

Persons: Mayor David Pittman Organizations: Mayor, Cal Fire Locations: Northern California, Oroville, Butte County, Paradise