Lake County 'Jerusalem Fire' Explodes To 3,000 Acres In Just Hours

MIDDLETOWN (CBS SF) -- A wildfire that ignited in Lake County several miles south of the Rocky Fire quickly spread to 3,000 acres Sunday, forcing evacuations according to Cal Fire.

The fire was reported around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, and firefighters reported they expect to battle the fire for an extended period of time.

The Jerusalem Fire in Middletown was forcing residents in the Jerusalem Valley area east of Spruce Grove to evacuate their homes.  Jerusalem Valley Road was closed to all traffic at Spruce Grove Road.

A Red Cross evacuation center was set up at Middletown High School, and there is a shelter for pets and other animals at the old water park just outside the city of Clearlake.

https://twitter.com/CALFIRE_PIO/status/630558864006451200" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/CALFIRE_PIO/status/630558864006451200

Residents in the surrounding area were surprised to see another wildfire.

Twitter user Richard Pritchard shared this picture of the smoke plume from the 14th tee at a golf course near Hidden Valley Lake.

In:
• Cal Fire
• Fire
• Wildfires
• Lake County