Photos: Thompson fire north of Sacramento forces thousands to evacuate

Times Photography Wire Services
·1-min read
A night flying helicopter drops water on flames as the Thompson Fire burns, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Oroville, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A night-flying helicopter drops water on the Thompson fire in Oroville. (Ethan Swope / Associated Press)

Firefighters are battling a growing wildfire in Northern California that has forced at least 13,000 people to evacuate with another day of extreme heat expected.

The Thompson fire sent up a huge plume of smoke and grew to nearly 5 square miles by Wednesday morning.

It broke out Tuesday about 70 miles north of Sacramento, in and around Oroville.

Flames engulf a home during the Thompson fire in Oroville.
(Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images)

Flames engulf a home Tuesday in Oroville.

A women runs while cars evacuate from the Thompson fire in Oroville.
(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)

A woman runs while cars evacuate near Oroville.

A firefighting crew sprays water on the Thompson fire in Oroville.
(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)

A firefighting crew sprays water.

Read more: California burns as heat wave spreads across western U.S.

An air tanker drops retardant while battling the Thompson fire in Oroville.
(Noah Berger / Associated Press)

An air tanker drops retardant.

A firetruck passes as the Thompson fire burns in Oroville.
(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)

The Thompson fire sends a plume of smoke over Oroville.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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