One of the air tanker planes crashed while battling a wildfire in Yosemite National Park, killing the pilot.
The wildfires Wednesday grew to a combined 420 acres (170 hectares), a slight increase from the previous day.
Yet total number of homes destroyed grew to five and about 80 homes were under threat, and six residential streets were under evacuation orders.
Meanwhile, the wildfire in Yosemite had grown to 252 acres (100 hectares) by Wednesday afternoon, a day after it broke out.
Electricity was out in Yosemite Valley because power lines near the crash site were shut down, and park facilities were using generators.
Some 60 homes in the community of Foresta were under evacuation orders.