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Lodge Fire In Mendocino County Spreads To 8,700 Acres; Evacuations In Place

MENDOCINO COUNTY (CBS SF) -- A wildfire burning for almost two weeks in Mendocino County is still just 35 percent contained.

An evacuation order was issued late Friday for the fire that now threatens nearly 60 structures across six communities. The fire in the Wilderness Lodge Fire Area near Laytonville, which was started by lightning on July , has charred more than 8,700 acres.

Three firefighters from Santa Clara County and five inmate firefighters from the Salt Creek Camp, a minimum-security facility in California, received minor burns as they battled a fast-moving blaze about 160 miles north of San Francisco in Mendocino County late Friday night.

The inmate crews work side by side with firefighters and do everything from battling blazes to helping build containment lines, according to Cal Fire spokeswoman Lynne Tolmachoff.

The injured firefighters were released early Saturday, just hours after being airlifted to the burn center at the University of California, Davis, for treatment.

Nearly 2,000 firefighters and 15 helicopters battled the blaze, Capt. Carlos Guerrero said Saturday.

TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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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