Massive wildfire erupts in California, blazing across 5,000 acres and sparking evacuations

Officials have issued evacuation warnings after a forest fire in Santa Barbara spread to nearly 5,000 acres in the span of a day. 

A wildfire, dubbed the Lake Fire, that erupted at around 3:45 pm yesterday has left more than 300 acres of land charred in the Los Padres National Forest. 

The blazing Lake Fire had spread to about 4,673 acres before 11 pm, according to Los Padres officials. 

Pictures from the scene show red skies and trees on fire as firefighters run to control the situation. 

Images from the aftermath also show giant plumes of smoke emerging from the forest as branches continue to burn into ash. 

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has since issued evacuation orders for areas around Figueroa Mountain Road to the Forest Station to Chamberlin Ranch as well as areas north of Zaca Lake Road, east of Foxen Canyon Road and south of the Sisquoc River, according to the Santa Barbara Independent. 

Scott Safechuck, a Santa Barbara Fire Department spokesman, said temperatures had reached 90 degrees and relative humidity was nine percent in the fire area as of last night. 

'A large number of fire resources are on scene and responding to this rapidly developing wildfire. Firefighters are aggressively suppressing the fire. The communities and resources affected are a top priority,' the federal government's Incident Information System website read. 

The website further stated that the fire is a red flag warning 'due to extremely high temperatures and low relative humidities.'

The National Weather Service had also issued excessive heat warnings across the state till next week. 

The federal agency warned: 'An exceptionally dangerous situation continues to unfold during this potentially historic and deadly heat event. Several days of temperatures well above normal will lead to compounding effects among people and infrastructure with the possibility of numerous heat related fatalities. 

'It cannot be stressed enough that while one day at these temperatures may be manageable for some, an event of this scale, magnitude, and longevity will likely rival anything we`ve seen in the last 18 years. 

'Heat is the number one weather related killer in the United States. It is VERY LIKELY that we add to hat statistic if preparations are not taken seriously.'

It went on to urge Californians to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and to check up on relatives and neighbors.

The Lake Fire is the latest inferno to strike the Golden State, just days after the Thompson wildfire broke out before noon on Tuesday around 70 miles north of the state capital Sacramento. 

Although it's 71 percent contained as of Saturday, the fire has currently devastated more than 3,700 acres.

During the efforts to stop the blaze, over a dozen aircraft, 50 engines and 15 dozers were currently engaged in the firefight, CBS News reported on Wednesday.

A separate wildfire - dubbed the French Fire - also ignited near Yosemite on Thursday evening amid the state's brutal - and dangerous - heat wave.

This forced the evacuation of some 11,000 residents, and as of Saturday afternoon, it was only 5 percent contained and had grown to 843 acres.

The inferno not only shut down the main highway into Yosemite National Park, it is one 17 wildfires scorching the West Coast state currently.

The largest of these fires - with only 46 percent contained - is the Basin Fire in Fresno County, which has scorched over 14,000 acres.