California governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Lake and Napa Counties on Sunday, . The Valley Fire, which has spread to 61,000 acres, has forced 13,000 people to evacuate, injured four firefighters, and resulted in at least one death, .
“We’re really in a battle with nature,” Brown told the Los Angeles Times, “and nature is more powerful than we are.”
The four firefighters are in stable condition and being treated for second-degree burns at UC Davis Medical Center. Approximately 3,300 firefighters are now on the scene of the Valley Fire, in addition to 100 officers and deputies from a total of 23 agencies.
At the end of an extremely hot and dry summer, the Valley Fire is not the only large wildfire currently threatening homes in California. On Wednesday, the Butte Fire, outside of Stockton, reached a total of 71,000 acres, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The emergency declaration will help large-scale tasks, such as debris removal, proceed more quickly, according to CNN.