Friday, June 24, 2016, 5:01 - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A fast-moving central California wildfire that more than doubled in size on Friday has killed two people and destroyed 100 structures, authorities said.
Officials were weighing whether to expand evacuation orders in the rural area of the state.
The so-called Erskine Fire broke out on Thursday afternoon in the foothills of Kern County about 42 miles (68 km) northeast of Bakersfield, and three firefighters were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, officials said.
The fire has led hundreds of residents to evacuate and the Kern County Fire Department said on Friday afternoon two people had died, though it did not identify the people or release further details.
High temperatures likely to surpass 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) on Friday and bone-dry vegetation from a five-year California drought were stoking flames.
