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At Least 200 Acres Burned In Sierra Foothills Fire

FORESTHILL, Placer County (CBS / AP) -- Fire officials said about 40 people have been evacuated as a fire burns in a steep and heavily wooded area near the American River Canyon in Placer County.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant said the blaze outside of the communities of Foresthill and Iowa Hill, about 50 miles northeast of Sacramento, has consumed about 200 acres since it was first reported Wednesday afternoon.

No homes have been damaged, but Berlant said officials called for the evacuations because the fire, fueled by dry brush, grew so quickly.

About 250 firefighters are battling the blaze on the ground. Several airtankers and helicopters were called in during the day to help fight the fire.

Berlant could not say when the blaze would be contained. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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