A wildfire, called the Washington Fire, has prompted evacuation orders in the city of Sonora near Jamestown in California’s Tuolumne County. The city of Sonora from west of Stockton Road to west of South Washington Street, including all roads in between, have been alerted.

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As per authorities, the Washington Fire started burning near Golf Links Road and Highway 108 west of Sonora shortly after 1 PM (local time) on Thursday. It quickly spread to both sides of the highway.

According to the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office, evacuations were initially ordered in Alley Drive, Circle Drive, Golden Dove Lane, McKibbin Drive, Golf Links Road, North Drive and Crooked Lane. 

According to local media reports around 4:30 PM (local time), the fire  had burned approximately 50 acres. Firefighters confirmed that the Washington Fire is burning in two separate locations – Stockton Road in Sonora and near Golf Links Road and Highway 108. 

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Highway 108 is closed. As per reports, the fire is burning to the southeast of the Airola Fire in Calaveras County.

The wildfire is referred to as a  wildland-urban interface. The area – Jamestown and Sonora in Tuolumne County – has neighbourhoods adjacent to undeveloped lands. Due to back-to-back dry winters, the vegetation in these areas is parched and highly flammable, reports add. 

Meanwhile, more than 14,000 firefighters are batting with wildfire up and down California, including a major blaze they hoped to keep out of the Lake Tahoe resort region.  

The National Weather Service warned that onshore winds from the west and southwest were shifting to offshore, blowing from the north or northeast, and that fire weather watches will be in force in Northern California by the end of the week.