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2 Fires Burn Thousands Of Acres In Sierra Nevada Foothills, Threaten Homes

WINTERS (CBS/AP) – The Lowell fire has burned 4,000 acres of brush and is threatening dozens of buildings in the Sierra foothills.

The blaze began around 2:30 p.m. Saturday near Colfax, about 45 miles northeast of Sacramento.

The fire has forced evacuations.

"We packed and the next thing we knew, they were down there telling us to get out now," evacuated resident Lori McMellon said.

The McMellons headed to safety.

Their property now looks like the set of a science fiction movie. The car, a statue, even a satellite dish covered in pink retardant. The drops happened without a moment to spare.

The fire was threatening at least 50 structures in Nevada County foothill communities.

Planes provided the initial attack overhead while firefighters raced to get in.

Four firefighters were injured battling the fire.

Meanwhile, crews are making progress against another wildfire near Napa Valley wine country that's burned more than 10 ½ square miles and the smaller Willow fire burning near Bass Lake in the Sierra National Forest.

At least 14 wildfires were burning across California Sunday.

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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