VACAVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Crews were battling wildfires in the San Francisco Bay Area and thousands of people were under orders to evacuate Wednesday as hundreds of wildfires blazed across the state amid a blistering heat wave now in its second week.
Gov. Gavin Newsom blamed the extraordinary weather and thousands of lightning strikes for 367 known fires, including 23 major fires or groups of fires.
He said the state has recorded nearly 11,000 lightning strikes in 72 hours.
Ash and smoke filled the air over San Francisco, which is surrounded by wildfires burning in multiple counties to the north, east and south.
