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USA TODAY - News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World ;..Thousands of residents in three rural communities in Northern California have been told to leave their homes as a wildfire that has already destroyed four homes and scorched nearly 19 square miles now threatens their property, a fire official said Sunday.

About 3,500 homes in a rural area along the border of Tehama and Shasta counties were being threatened by the Ponderosa Fire, said state fire spokesman Daniel Berlant. The fire was about 150 miles north of Sacramento and was near the towns of Manton, Shingletown and Viola, he said.

The Ponderosa Fire, one of 14 major wildfires burning in California, was among a rash of western wildfiresscorching parts of that state, Washington, Idaho and Utah.