Driven by forceful winds, a destructive wildfire near the border of Oregon has engulfed 100 homes in flames, forcing over 1,500 residents to evacuate.

The 350-acre blaze began around 1:30 p.m. on Monday near the base of Mount Shasta and surged toward its timberland, burning a sawmill and a Catholic Church south of a tiny town called Weed.

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"It was fast-moving, fanned by incredibly gusty winds of up to 40 mph," California Fire Department Spokesperson Daniel Berlant stated, explaining that the wildfire went through and around the town of Weed.

Nearly 2,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as 800 firefighters struggle to put out the massive wildfire with the aid of an aircraft.

According to state fire spokesperson Susie Brady, about 15 percent of the fire had been contained at dusk after its pace started to slow when the wind began to lessen later in the day.

"We're hoping that the winds are going to calm down tonight," she stated describing the remains of the timberland as a 'black land' after many trees have been burned down.

In the meantime, the Interstate 5 connecting California and Oregon has been closed.

Meanwhile, other members of the fire brigade are trying to gain access to two other raging fires in central and northern California.

Firefighters worked to reinforce containment structures near the southern entrance to the Yosemite National Park after another massive wildfire known as the 'Courtney Fire,' destroyed over 60 structures and scorched 320 acres of land.

The Courtney Fire reportedly started at a road outside Oakhurst and has spread to Bass Lake.

Recent updates indicate that the 35 percent of the wildfire has already been contained.

A similar incident occurred 60 miles east of Sacramento, causing a mandatory evacuation of residents from 133 homes in order to ensure their safety after the 'King Fire' began on Saturday.

Another 406 have been advised to prepare for immediate evacuation as only 5 percent of the huge wildfire had been contained on Sunday after it reached an area full of thick, dry bush and doubled in size.

TagsOregon, wildfire, Evacuation, california, fire, Evacuation, flames, blaze, firefighters