King Fire Surges To 70,944 Acres Overnight; Highway 50 Closed Again

POLLOCK PINES (CBS13) – The King Fire burning near Pollock Pines more than 70,000 – more than double the estimate it was the night before.

Officials reported that the wildfire had burned nearly 28,000 acres Wednesday night, but announced Thursday morning that the fire had grown to 70,944 acres. Containment still only stands at 5%.

A total of 3,695 firefighters are at the scene, more than 1,000 more than there were Wednesday.

Highway 50 between Sly Park and Riverton was closed by Caltrans due to the firefight, the second closure of the roadway in as many days.

More than 2,155 people have been evacuated or given evacuation orders from the area. For a full list of areas affected by evacuation orders, check this website: http://http://pio.edso.org/.