Pair of Calif. wildfires force evacuations

Written By Unknown on Monday, August 13, 2012 | 1:00 AM

  • Two wildfires are burning in Lake County, California
  • The fires started at about the same time at different spots along a highway, an official said
  • By night time, the larger of the two fires was threatening a subdivision, the official said

(CNN) -- Firefighters were battling two wildfires in Northern California that grew late Sunday to more than 5,000 acres, forcing people from their homes in Lake County, a fire official said.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the Spring Valley subdivision in Clearlake, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, according to Julie Hutchinson of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The larger of the two fires, dubbed the "Wye Fire," began burning at about 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET) along California Highway State 20, she said. By night time, the fire had grown to 5,000 acres.

A second smaller fire, labeled the "Walker Fire," began burning a short distance away at about the same time along the same highway, Hutchinson said. By evening, it had grown to 400 acres.

About 200 fire personnel were en route to fight the fire, she said.

CNN's Greg Morrison contributed to this report.

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