A forest fire spread across the outskirts of Chico, northern California, on Wednesday after coming from the nearby town of Paradise and forcing thousands of people to flee.
Fire officials issued an order to evacuate homes east of Chico, which has a population of about 93,000 and about 145 km north of Sacramento.
Firefighters, known as Camp Fire, which has destroyed about 20,000 acres, are moving westward due to winds of 56 kilometers (35 miles) per hour, fire officials said.
The fire came earlier in the town of Paradise, about 20 miles east of Chico. "The town was destroyed, everything was destroyed," said spokesman Scott McClellan. There is not much left in place. "
"This fire moved and spread very quickly and surprised many people," he said.
A number of civilians and firefighters were wounded and it could take days before the authorities know if there were any casualties, he said.
The town of Paradise is on a mountain slope and has only limited routes to escape. Officials said traffic accidents blocked the roads and residents left their cars and rushed out of flames carrying their children and pets.
"The situation is at the top of chaos," said officer Ryan Lambert of the California Highway Patrol.