Northern California's Caldor Fire is burning uncontrollably in El Dorado County, with officials describing it as an "unprecedented" blaze.
The fire has destroyed multiple structures, including a school and church, forced thousands to evacuate, and left two people injured. The blaze was sparked on Saturday evening south of Grizzly Flats, and by Tuesday morning had scorched 6,500 acres. The fire exploded on Tuesday thanks to high winds, and as of Wednesday morning had burned 53,772 acres. The Candor Fire has unusually high flame lengths, fire response spokesman Chris Vestal said, and is described in an incident report as being "unprecedented," the Los Angeles Times reports. It is at zero percent containment.
Grizzly Flats and Leoni Meadows have both been "heavily impacted" by the fire, Mike Blankenheim with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said, and the full extent of the damage isn't yet known. The flames are spreading across rugged terrain, and there are more hand crews on the scene because the heavy machinery can't make it through some of the canyons, Blankenheim said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.