SACRAMENTO (REUTERS) – California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in five counties on Sunday (Sept 6) due to wildfires.

The counties included Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, San Bernardino and San Diego, the governor’s office said in a statement on Sunday.

The declaration was prompted by the Creek Fire that started on Friday night and rapidly grew to burn some 18,210 hectares, forcing evacuations and road closures in the Fresno area in central California.

Eight people have been killed and some 3,300 structures have been destroyed over the past three weeks in wildfires across the state.

Over 200 people were airlifted to safety overnight after a fast-moving wildfire cut off the only road out of the Mammoth Pool Reservoir, a popular recreational site in California’s Sierra National Forest.

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