According to representatives of the area’s emergency services, two people have been injured and thousands have been forced to leave their homes.
The forest fire took off on Friday afternoon north of the town of Weed, which is located roughly 40 miles north of San Francisco. Around 2,600 people live in the town.
Severe drought prevails in the US state of California ahead of the fire season that has now begun. Climate scientists have stated that climate change has led to the western United States becoming warmer in recent decades, which in turn will lead to more devastating forest fires, among other things.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in the Siskiyou County area where the fire is raging and declared that federal funds have been received to fight the fire and its effects.