Wildfires rage across parts of central California, burning homes and forests

Four firefighters were injured on Saturday in a fast-moving wildfire in Northern California that forced the evacuation of thousands of people, and destroyed 86 homes and 51 outbuildings in the state officials said. The firefighters suffered second-degree burns as they battled the so-called Valley Fire, in Lake County, north of San Francisco. The Valley Fire broke out on Saturday afternoon and quickly spread to 10,000 acres, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said on its website. The explosive growth of the Valley Fire forced authorities to order evacuations of a number of communities, including all of Hidden Valley Lake which has about 5,500 people. Footage from NBC appeared to show dozens of homes ablaze in the town of Middletown. Even the "Welcome to Middletown" sign was on fire. More than 3,800 firefighters were working to contain the fire, which erupted on Wednesday near the former gold mining town of Jackson.