(MENAFN- QNA) California's largest wildfire is spreading quickly, consuming 54,000 acres in three counties and staying active throughout the night - a time when firefighters typically make progress, a state fire official said.
The Rocky Fire was only 5% contained Sunday and was feeding on the state's drought to grow actively, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
"This has been a very fast-moving wildfire with the dry conditions and the weather not really cooperating with us over the past week," Berlant told the (CNN).
The wildfire was burning in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties northwest of Sacramento. More than 12,100 people in more than 5,100 structures were under some type of evacuation order or advisory as of Sunday afternoon, according to the Cal Fire website.
Almost 2,000 fire personnel, 180 engines, four air tankers and 19 helicopters are battling the Rocky Fire.
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The Rocky Fire was one of two dozen wildfires burning in California on Sunday. More than 8,000 firefighters were involved statewide, helped by the addition of large air tankers, including at least one National Guard C-130, Berlant said.
California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Friday, mobilizing the National Guard to support the disaster response.
Berlant said the dry conditions mean there's been little benefit from the cooler temperatures over the past week.
Lightning is also a problem. There have been several thousand lighting strikes over the past three days, igniting several hundred small wildfires in the northern part of the state - and the accompanying thunderstorms have produced little or no rain, Berlant said.
One fireman was killed in the line of duty.
Evacuation orders remain in effect for those around the fire, which has already consumed more than 5,600 acres.
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