10,000 people under evacuation orders or advisories in Butte Fire

SAN ANDREAS, Calif. (KTVU-AP) -- Firefighters  are working feverishly, to try to get a handle on the fast-moving wildfire burning in the Sierra Foothills.

Cal Fire announced Saturday morning, that the fire has burned 64, 728 acres and that containment has increased from 5 percent to 10 percent overnight.

But 10,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders or evacuation advisories in parts of Amador and Calaveras Counties.

The "Butte Fire," which started Wednesday on Butte Mountain Road, has destroyed 15 structures and is threatening 6,400 others, and has prompted Governor Jerry Brown to issue a state-of-emergency in the two counties.

The fire that had only burned about a single square mile Thursday morning, surged to 101 square miles by Friday evening.

At one point, the blaze was bearing down on the 2,700 residents of San Andreas, prompting an evacuation order for the entire town 60 miles southeast of Sacramento. But the fire changed direction, and the order was called off a short time later, state fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said.

"The fire was quickly approaching the community," Berlant said. "This fire is very dynamic and changing different directions with the topography. ... That makes it very unpredictable, and with the exponential growth, we're seeing a lot of danger not only to residents in the path of this fire but to our own firefighters, as well."

San Andreas residents were told they still need to be prepared to evacuate.

Homes from smaller surrounding towns were under evacuation orders, with at least 460 people checking in at evacuation centers set up for the fire.

One of those evacuation centers was at the San Andreas Town Hall, which itself had to be evacuated for a time. "I had to move a kitchen full of food, 217 beds, three huge air conditioners," said Gina Gonzales, a Red Cross volunteer organizing the evacuation center.

About 90 minutes after moving everything to the Calaveras County Fairgrounds, Cal Fire ordered the evacuation center to move back to the San Andreas Town Hall because firefighters were going to make the fairgrounds their base camp, Gonzales said.

The roughly 65 evacuees were not only scared for their homes but frustrated, with the moving and what they felt was a lack of information from fire crews, she said.

Evacuated resident Doug Dalton and his family packed their pets and other belongings into their vehicles Friday afternoon. They will stay in a hotel for the night.

"It's dry. Everything here is so dry. A spark will set it off. You don't need a fire," said Dalton. "We got clothes, bedding, and plenty of water and food."

Dalton was hopeful their home won't be in the path of the fire, but took no chances by grabbing irreplaceable items including family photos albums.
　
Another displaced evacuee, William Vignone told KTVU he packed everything he owns into his motorhome and fled. He wants to know where his friends and neighbors are.

"I live in a gated community. I don't know where anyone is," said Vignone.

But these folks said they're getting help and strength from each other.

"That's all you can be is grateful. Everybody is so helpful," said Dalton.

Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, helping to free up funding and resources in the firefight.

Nearly 3,300 firefighters and 383 fire engines have been dispatched to fight the fire, with the cause now under investigation.