Explosive Guinda Fire Burns 8,000 Acres In Yolo County, Hundreds Evacuated
GUIDA (KPIX) -- A fast-moving fire broke out Saturday afternoon in Yolo County, near Highway 16. Firefighters have dubbed it the Guinda Fire.
The blaze started around 2 p.m. Saturday and sent huge plumes of black smoke into the sky, hampering helicopter searches for evacuees.
The fire could be seen from Sacramento, some 50 miles away.
So far, some 8,000 acres have been charred, and hundreds of residents are evacuating.
Firefighters were facing challenging conditions as temperatures topped 100 degrees but they continued the fight the blaze by air and on the ground.
"We have weather which is a huge issue- the terrain the topography, the fuels," said Cal-Fire spokesman Anthony Brown. "We're getting ready to run out of daylight so that's going to hamper the air."
Meantime, residents watched and waited.
"Our main focus was getting horses and livestock out -- pretty much just get all of our friends and stuff out," said resident Jake Franceschi.
Meantime, the massive Pawnee Fire burning northeast of Clearlake Oaks forced the evacuation of some 200 residents after it jumped containment lines. Fortunately no new structures were burned.
That fire has spread to 14,000 acres, and containment remains at 73 percent.
