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Wildfires In Mendocino, Central California Prompt Evacuations

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A wildfire burning in Central California doubled in size in just a few hours after it broke out in steep areas with heavy brush and tall grass.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says the blaze sparked Sunday afternoon near Lake McClure, a reservoir about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Modesto, is threatening homes in a rural area.

Officials have ordered an evacuation order for an unknown number of homes.

The fire has burned nearly 4 square miles (10 square kilometers).

In Northern California, a 900-acre wildfire in Mendocino County has also triggered an evacuation of homes.

To the south, crews are struggling to surround a 28-square-mile (72-square-kilometer) blaze burning for more than a week in the mountains of Santa Barbara County. It is just 49 percent contained after destroying 16 homes.

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