
A night-flying helicopter drops water on the Thompson fire in Oroville.
(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)
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Firefighters are battling a growing wildfire in Northern California that has forced at least 13,000 people to evacuate with another day of extreme heat expected.
The Thompson fire sent up a huge plume of smoke and grew to nearly 5 square miles by Wednesday morning.
It broke out Tuesday about 70 miles north of Sacramento, in and around Oroville.

(Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images)
Flames engulf a home Tuesday in Oroville.

(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)
A woman runs while cars evacuate near Oroville.

(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)
A firefighting crew sprays water.
As California braces for a heat wave expected to last through next week, several wildfires have ignited under critical fire conditions, forcing evacuations.

(Noah Berger / Associated Press)
An air tanker drops retardant.

(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)
The Thompson fire sends a plume of smoke over Oroville.
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