Firefighters continue to battle growing wildfire near Prather

FRESNO COUNTY (KFSN) -- A wildfire in Fresno County nearly tripled in size since Saturday night.

Heavy smoke consumed the skies above Prather with the size of the fire only matched by the number of engines and firefighters staged at the incident command post.

"I noticed they got a lot of help," nearby resident Gary Cooper said. "A lot of people came from out of town."

More than 500 men and women threw in their efforts to control the fast-moving flames.

Planes made dozens of airdrops and neighbors watched on nervously below as the fire licked the property near a house.

Multiple structures have already been destroyed.

"Like a dried Christmas tree," Cooper said. "It explodes at the top."

As of Sunday afternoon, the fire is at 1800 acres and 15 percent containment. Firefighters say every year these fires become tougher to fight and easily can grow to this size.

"That's because of our five-year drought, all of that coupled together gives us extreme conditions," Johnny Miller with Cal Fire said.

So far, there have been 200 evacuations.

Cal Fire says that number has a high possibility of growing by the end of the day.