1,500 firefighters battle June Lightning Complex Fire as Fresno County declares emergency

Fresno County officials declared a local state of emergency Thursday as crews battle a wildfire near Yokuts Valley.

The June Lightning Complex Fire has burned about 9,000 acres in Eastern Fresno County. It is 29% contained.

"It's a complex fire because we had three large fires at the same time in the same area, CAL FIRE Captain Brent Pascua said.

They started earlier this week, sparked by an intense thunderstorm that rolled through the Valley and caused a thousand lightning strikes.

Pascua says at least two of the fires met in the middle and combined.

"Instead of having to cut those two separate fire lines like this, now we can just cut one big one around this one main fire," he said.

Fresno County officials have issued evacuation orders in three areas and say residents in four other areas should be ready to leave.

There is an evacuation shelter at Reedley College.

"If you think you may need to leave, it's best just to leave," Pascua said.

The warning comes as more than 1,500 firefighters, many arriving from Southern California, fight to stop the fire from jumping containment lines.

Action News was there as a helicopter dropped hundreds of gallons of water on a hotspot.

The aerial fight assists crews on the ground who dig and establish containment lines.

On one side of the line that Action News saw, there was dried brush.

A few feet away, there was smoky and charred terrain.

"Challenges in this area are the steep terrain and also the fuel," Pascua said. "Once that gets lined up with the wind, it burns really hot, really fast."

He says the heat and wind have made it difficult for firefighters on Thursday, but officials hope to make more progress on containment when the temperature drops overnight.

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