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California Wildfire Conditions Being Called 'Historic'

LOWER LAKE, Calif. (CBS13) - The Rocky Fire is the biggest fire burning in California. It's raging in the Lower Lake area north of San Francisco. It spread through Sunday to cover even more drought-stricken ground.

As a result of the fire, some local roads have been closed. Highway 16 is closed at highway 20 to the Yolo County line, and highway 20 is closed from New Long Valley Road to Highway 16.

Fast-moving flames continue raging through thousands of acres of dry brush and trees in three counties: Lake, Colusa and Yolo, tripling the acreage of the fire in just two days.

And just how much longer it will continue to burn is a question no one can answer.

"The fire behavior that we're seeing, it's historic," said Cal Fire Captain Steve Kauffman.

PHOTOS: Rocky Fire

Kauffman is one of more than 2,000 firefighters from around the state on the fire line. But even with constant water drops overhead, it just keeps burning.

"We haven't seen fire really grow in that magnitude in that short of amount of time," he said.

Drought or no drought, this is fire country.

Lynn Bargaglilddi lives on the Yolo County side of the fire. She hasn't evacuated yet, but realizes she may have to.

"We're kind of used to [it]," she said.

But not everyone's used to it. This fire is scorching new territory. More than 12,000 people are under some kind of evacuation order. For many, it's a matter of get in the car and go.

"It's terrifying, but you just do what you can to get out of here," said an evacuee.

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