LATEST UPDATES: Destructive Camp Fire Explodes To 90,000 Acres, At Least 9 Deaths Confirmed

PARADISE (CBS13/AP) - The latest updates on the Camp Fire in Butte County on Friday:

For more information on how to help the victims of the fire, visit cbs13.com/help.

7:10 p.m.

Pacific Gas & Electric Company says it will cooperate with any investigations stemming from a massive wildfire in Northern California.

The utility told state regulators Thursday that it experienced a problem on an electrical transmission line near the site of the blaze minutes before the fire broke out. The company said it later observed damage to a transmission tower on the line.

PG&E spokeswoman Lynsey Paulo said Friday the information was preliminary and stressed that the cause of the fire has not been determined.

The fire has killed at least nine people and destroyed more than 6,000 homes. It forced the evacuation of roughly 30,000 people in the town of Paradise, about 180 miles (289 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco.

6:30 p.m.

A Northern California sheriff says only one of the nine people who died in a wildfire was found inside a home.

Butte County Sheriff Korey Honea said Friday that three people were found outside homes and four people inside vehicles. He said another victim was found near a vehicle but outside it.

All the victims were found in the town of Paradise, which was evacuated as a result of the fire.

Authorities say they conducted numerous rescues Friday as they fought the flames, including using helicopters to rescue five people in the nearby community of Magalia.

The sheriff says they have taken 35 reports of missing people.

6:00 p.m.

In a press conference Friday evening, Cal Fire confirmed that the fire has grown to 90,000 acres and is still five percent contained.

Authorities say nine people have been confirmed dead in a Northern California wildfire.

Butte County Sheriff Korey Honea said Friday that some people were found inside their cars and others were found outside vehicles. He says he doesn't have all the details on the circumstances of the deaths.

Sheriff's officials earlier had reported six deaths. Officials said all of the

Authorities say the fire burning around the town of Paradise has become the state's most destructive since record-keeping began.

Cal Fire said the wildfire has destroyed more than 6,500 structures. Fire officials said Friday the destroyed structures include 6,453 homes and another 260 commercial structures. The fire is burning around the town of Paradise.

4:55 p.m.

A sheriff's spokeswoman has confirmed a sixth death in a Northern California wildfire that has forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate.

Butte County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Megan McMann said Friday she did not have details on the circumstances of the death.

Sheriff's officials said earlier that five people were found dead in vehicles that were torched by flames in the same area in the town of Paradise.

They said the five could not immediately be identified because of the burns they suffered.

The Sheriff's office expects the death toll number to rise as more areas become safe to access. As for Friday afternoon, from the areas that have been covered by the sheriff's officials, there have been six fatalities from the fire.

Paradise is 180 miles (289 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco.

4:40 p.m.

California has been granted federal funds to battle devastating wildfires that have destroyed entire neighborhoods and killed at least five people.

President Trump has issued an emergency declaration providing aid to help state and local firefighters battling blazes in Butte, Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

The money will help pay for firefighting aircraft along with shelter, supplies and transportation for the tens of thousands of evacuated residents.

The wind-whipped fires have destroyed blocks of homes in the Northern California town of Paradise, where five people have died.

Other fires in Southern California have destroyed many homes and threaten thousands of others.

4:30 p.m.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. says it experienced a problem on an electrical transmission line near the site of a massive fire in Northern California minutes before the blaze broke out.

The company said in a one-paragraph summary filed Thursday with state utility regulators that it had experienced an outage on the line about 15 minutes before the fire started. The company said it later observed damage to a transmission tower on the line near the town of Paradise.

The fire has killed at least five people and destroyed hundreds of homes. Paradise is 180 miles (289 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco.

The filing was first reported by KQED News.

Fire officials have not determined a cause for the blaze.

The town of Paradise has been completely devastated by the Camp Fire. As crews drove around Friday afternoon they saw there is nothing left of the downtown area. Cars are abandoned on the side of the road where people got out and ran for their lives.

The fire is currently 70,000 acres and just five percent contained. 2,000 structures have been destroyed and Cal Fires says 15,000 structures are still threatened by the blaze.

For more information on how to help the victims of the Camp Fire, head to cbs13.com/help.

1:10 p.m.

A road into a Northern California town devastated by wildfire is eerily deserted.

There were no signs of life Friday on the road toward the town of Paradise except for the occasional chirping of a bird. A thick, yellow haze from the wildfire hung in the air and gave the appearance of twilight in the middle of the day.

Strong winds had blown the blackened needles on some evergreens straight to one side. A burned out car with its doors open sat on the shoulder.

Five people have been found dead in Paradise from the fire, and sheriff's officials say they are investigating additional reports of fatalities. Thousands of buildings were destroyed.

The town of 27,000 about 180 miles (289 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco was completely evacuated.

10:57 a.m.

The Butte County Sheriff's Office says at least five people have been found dead after the Camp Fire tore through the town of Paradise on Thursday.

Investigators found the five people in the area of Edgewood Lane in Paradise inside of cars. It's believed the victims were overcome by the Camp Fire when they were in their cars.

No identification of the victims was able to be made due to the burn injuries, deputies say.

Investigators have been working to confirm reports of fatalities due to the destructive fire. Anyone with missing loved ones are encouraged to check http://safeandwell.org.

9:42 a.m.

Authorities are planning to lift the mandatory evacuation orders for areas on the outskirts of Chico at 11 a.m.

All areas except Stilson Canyon will be repopulated soon. However, officials expect to repopulate Stilson Canyon around noon, police say.

California Office of Emergency Services officials said the winds have died down on Friday. Another wind event is expected to pick up by Sunday into the next week, however.

With several fires across the state, CalOES officials say some 157,000 people are under evacuation orders.

9:15 a.m.

Some people who escaped a roaring wildfire in northern California spent the night at a church in the nearby city of Chico.

Residents of the town of Paradise told harrowing tales Friday of a slow-motion escape from a fire so close they could feel it inside their vehicles as they sat stuck in terrifying gridlock.

They say it was like the entire town of 27,000 residents decide to leave at once.

Fire surrounded the evacuation route and drivers panicked, some crashing and others abandoning their vehicles to try their luck on foot.

Many of the rural residents have propane tanks on their property and the tanks were exploding.

Resident Karen Auday says "they were going off like bombs."

8:20 a.m.

A fire official says a Northern California wildfire has put 15,000 homes and 2,000 commercial buildings at "imminent danger of burning."

RELATED: Remember The Five "Ps" Of Wildfire Evacuations

Capt. Koby Johns of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection also said Friday that about 2,000 buildings have already been destroyed. He described those numbers as "very elastic."

Johns says heavy winds continue to drive the fire but winds are expected to ease Friday afternoon, which could give firefighters an opportunity to start containing it.

7:59 a.m.

AT&T says they are issuing credits, waving additional charges and providing unlimited talk, text and data access to their customers in the Paradise area due to the Camp Fire.

The relief effort will be in effect from Nov. 8 through 12.

People with billing addresses in the following zip codes are covered: 95938, 95954, 95965, 95969. AT&T says people may still get alerts about data during the protected dates, but the company will make sure the credits are reflected come billing time.

7:02 a.m.

The Camp Fire has grown to 70,000 acres and is only 5 percent contained as of Friday morning, Cal Fire says.

While the city of Chico is not immediately threatened by the fire, Chico State has closed for Friday and events have been canceled for the weekend. All Butte County public schools are also closed on Friday.

Several new evacuation orders were also issued Friday morning for some areas in Butte County:

-Stirling City and Inskip. Residents are being advised to exit up through Butte Meadows and down Highway 32.

-Upper Magalia, including includes Humbug, Lovelock, Powellton, Stirling, and North Coutelenc.

6:16 a.m.

A fast-moving wildfire that ravaged a Northern California town Thursday sent residents racing to escape on roads that turned into tunnels of fire as thick smoke darkened the daytime sky.

A Cal Fire official said thousands of structures were destroyed.

Harrowing tales of escape and heroic rescues emerged from Paradise, where the entire community of 27,000 was ordered to evacuate. Witnesses reported seeing homes, supermarkets, businesses, restaurants, schools and a retirement home up in flames.

The fire was reported shortly after daybreak in a rural area. By nightfall, it had consumed more than 28 square miles and was raging out of control.

Authorities say at least two firefighters and multiple residents were injured.

The following areas are under evacuation orders:

Mandatory Evacuations: (Anyone in need of assistance to evacuate should call 911.)

• Nimshew Zone
• Lower Clark & Lower Skyway Zones
• Paradise
• Concow
• Pulga
• Upper Honey Run Zone
• Carnegie Zone
• North Pines Zone
• North Fir Haven Zone
• South Fir Haven Zone
• South Pine Zone
• Old Magalia Zone
• South Coutelenc Zone
• Paradise Zones 1-14
• Centerville and Butte Creek areas
• Fire zones 2,7, 11, 12, 13
• Area of Highway 70 from Concow South, including all of Yankee Hill on both sides of 70.
• Highway 32 at Nopel Road* to the Chico City Limits (does not include City of Chico)
• Cherokee from Highway 70 to Lake Oroville, south to Table Mountain Boulevard
• Both sides of Oro-Chico Highway (located west of Highway 99) from Durham-Dayton north to Estates Drive
• Nelson Shippee Road

Evacuation Warnings:

• Humbug Zone
• Lovelock Zone
• North Coutelenc Zone
• Highway 32 at Nopel Road* to the Butte County Line (does not include City of Chico)
• West Of Highway 99 from Highway 149 North to the Midway. (does not include City of Chico)
• Highway 99 east to Highway 70 from Highway 162 to Highway 149
• East of Bruce Road between Highway 32 and East 20th Street in Chico

*NOTE: Depending on your mapping software, this may be different.

• Google Maps calls it Nopel Road
• Apple Maps calls it Nopel Avenue

(Source: Butte County Sheriff, CHP – Oroville, Butte County)

Evacuation shelters:

• [FULL] Oroville Nazarene Church (2238 Monte Vista Ave, Oroville)
• [FULL] Neighborhood Church (2801 Notre Dame Blvd, Chico)
• Butte County Fairgrounds (199 E Hazel St., Gridley)
• [FULL] Chico Elks Lodge, (1705 Manzanita Avenue, Chico, CA)

In:
• Butte County