'Unprecedented' Caldor Fire burns 53,000 acres in Northern California

A church destroyed by the Caldor Fire.
(Image credit: Allison Dinner/Getty Images)

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.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.