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Homeowners Anxious As King Fire Continues To Burn

POLLOCK PINES (CBS13) – Hundreds of homes remained threatened by the King Fire burning near Pollock Pines Sunday night.

Many evacuees are staying at Sierra Ridge Middle School, where the Red Cross has set up a shelter.

"He called and said, 'Get the heck out right now, the fire is jumping the lake, it's headed over your way,'" resident Jolene Nunez-Ramirez said.

Nunez-Ramirez knew the fire was close, but didn't know how close. After getting the call from a firefighter friend to leave her home, her neighborhood was placed under a mandatory evacuation.

"I'm really a wreck … we couldn't get out fast enough," Nunez-Ramirez said.

The fire exploded in size in a matter of hours and knocked out power and water to many, including to Nunez-Ramirez' home.

"We lost power and water like an hour before we left. I couldn't see anything, the smoke was billowing in our house," Nunez-Ramirez said.

Crews are fighting the flames from the air with water drops, using a nearby lake for their water supply, as evacuees wait patiently – watching the smoke grow from afar.

"So we're just down here until we can go home. Pray for anyone who is out there to be safe," resident Susan Johnson said.

They hope their homes are still standing by the time crews knock out the King Fire.

"I've heard so far on our road two homes are being jeopardized," Nunez-Ramirez said. "And we are the next house."

The good news Sunday night is that crews report no homes have been destroyed by the fire. Crews will continue to work throughout the night to try and get a handle on the flames.

As of Sunday night, the fire has burned about 3,000 acres, according to Cal Fire.

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