The raging Rocky Fire that started Wednesday continues to consume thousands of acres across Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties in California.
Rocky Fire burned a total of 54,000 acres on Sunday, doubling in size from the previous night's 27,000 acres. Only 5 percent of the fire has been contained so far, according to Cal Fire.
The fast-spreading fire has prompted a mandatory evacuation order for 12,000 residents living near the affected areas. The Highway 20 corridor will be closed to traffic from New Long Valley Road all the way to Highway 53. The evacuated residents were advised to gather important medications and documents and to bring their pets along while they stay in recommended evacuation areas until it is declared safe to go back.
#RockyFire [update] east of Lower Lake (Lake, Yolo & Colusa Co.) is now 54,000 acres & 5% contained. https://t.co/esmZ1jrGHn
— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) August 3, 2015
Daniel Berlant, Cal Fire spokesman, referred to the Rocky Fire as "a very dangerous fire." The fire has destroyed about 24 homes and 26 outbuildings and poses a threat to more than 6,000 buildings, NBC News reports.
Almost 2,000 firefighters have been deployed in the area to quench the fire while 6,000 more deal with more than 20 other wildfires in other locations across California, which have been made worse by the drought.
Some residents from areas under an advisory evacuation order refused to leave their homes. Instead, they used hoses to keep the fields and dried brush wet in an effort to ward off the spreading fire.
However, Cal Fire spokesman Jason Shanley strongly advised against not heeding the evacuation order.
"We don't do that just because," Shanley said, according to NBC News.
Fire officials are saying the Rocky Fire's behavior is "unprecedented."
"It is jaw-dropping to see some of the things it is doing," Shanely said, ABC News reports.
California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Friday because of the wildfires burning across the state.
