A wildfire in Fresno County, Calif., which ignited on the evening of Aug. 8 has increased significantly in size to upwards of 7,000 acres, forcing evacuation orders after one home and one outbuilding were destroyed by the blaze, and with many additional structures also under threat of destruction.

According to the most recent update on the "Mineral Fire," issued early Thursday morning by Cal Fire authorities, the blaze had burned through 6,952 acres of land and was at 15 percent containment. The cause of the Mineral Fire is still under official investigation.

One of several fires affecting California during this year's wildfire season, this particular one is located near Highway 198 and Mineral Springs Road, approximately eight miles west of the city of Coalinga, Calif.

Cal Fire officials report no injuries to firefighters or civilians as of yet, but did say that two structures, including one residence and an outbuilding have already burned down, with 51 other structures currently being threatened by the blaze. As such, a number of evacuation warnings and orders have been issued for residents in the affected area.

An Evacuation Order is now in place for Coalinga Mineral Springs Road. Additionally, an Evacuation Warning has been issued for residents in the Los Gatos Canyon area between San Benito County Line and Derrick.

To clarify on the evacuation system in place, Evacuation Warnings are ordered to alert community members in a defined area of a potential threat to life and property from an emergency incident. This type of warning may be issued when the potential or actual threat to civilian life is more than two hours away.

Alternately, Evacuation Orders mandate the movement of community members out of a defined area due to an immediate threat to life and property from an emergency incident. Evacuation Orders are issued when there is potential or actual threat to civilian life within one-to-two hours or when the Incident Commander (IC) deems it necessary to protect civilians.

For residents affected by these recent evacuations, a Red Cross Evacuation Center has already been set up at West Hills College, located at 300 W. Cherry Lane in Coalinga. For residents who live in or near the Coalinga area, a Mineral Fire Information Line has been set up. The number for this information line is (925) 872-8576.

On a related note, another phone line has been set up to assist residents with pets in the affected area who need help with both large and small animal evacuations. That help line number is (559) 433-9663.

For residents in or around Coalinga or any motorists who expect to drive near or through where the Mineral Fire is burning, one road closure has been put into place as of Thursday morning. This closure is on Highway 198 at Alcalde Road in Coalinga and at the Fresno/Monterey County Line.

According to a report from The Fresno Bee, Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes joined Cal Fire officials Wednesday as they took to the sky for an aerial view of the blaze and ongoing firefighting efforts. Mendes reported that he was "cautiously optimistic" about these efforts and their future success.

The County Supervisor also revealed some causes for concern that firefighting officials had brought to his attention, some of which could impact the continued progress and eventual outcome of this natural disaster situation.

"Two concerns mentioned by firefighters were the scarcity of water in the area and that no burns had been recorded there in the past one hundred years," Mendes said. "Which means there could be a great deal of fuel ready to burn."

Mendes went on to indicate that firefighting efforts and the impact of changing winds and weather conditions will likely dictate the direction and spread of the fire moving into Thursday.

On Thursday morning at 7:00 a.m. PST, Cal Fire officials issued an updated report on the Mineral Fire conditions. According to that report, fire behavior continues to be active, with "multiple uphill runs." Firefighters will continue burning operations to improve containment lines, though steep terrain in the affected area is making access challenging for emergency crews.

As of Thursday morning a total of 1,006 firefighting personnel had been dispatched to assist in efforts to contain and battle the Mineral Fire. Among the resources being utilized in this firefight are 91 fire engines, 27 fire crews, seven air tankers, 10 helicopters, 26 dozers, and 11 water tenders.

Numerous cooperating agencies have joined together in this firefighting effort. They include: the Fresno County Sheriffs Office; Fresno County OES; Fresno County Roads; Bureau of Land Management; California Department of Corrections; City of Coalinga; California Conservation Corps.; California Highway Patrols; CalTrans; and the Red Cross.