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Firefighters in northern California held their ground Wednesday despite gusty winds, fighting the blaze from containment lines around the fire just east of Sacramento in El Dorado County, California. 

The King fire, which started burning Sept. 13, reached 92,960 acres and 38 percent containment, according to Cal Fire. State Fire Battalion Chief Scott McLean said the cost of fighting the blaze has hit about $53 million. As many as 7,400 firefighters from across the nation are on scene. The extra manpower was added in anticipation of unfavorable weather conditions that may hinder progress. 

"Despite the forecast for rain on Thursday, it will not be the 'cure all' needed to extinguish the fire," said weather.com meteorologist Chrissy Warrilow. "Hot, dry winds will continue through the weekend, which will further fan the flames."

(MORE: Impressive September Storm Dives Into the West) 

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, the inferno destroyed 12 homes and 68 other structures in the White Meadows area of Pollock Pines, as seen in preliminary figures. 

While some families were allowed to return home Tuesday, as many as 2,700 people are still not allowed back. Officials said as many as 21,000 structures -- and half of those being homes -- were still under threat of the expanding flames. The fire also continued to threaten a key University of California, Berkeley research station that is home to scores of experiments on trees, plants and other wildlife.

The blaze was spreading smoke beyond California, and the National Weather Service issued a "dense smoke advisory" for Reno, Nevada and Lake Tahoe some 100 miles away. 

Those winds sent the air quality index into the "very unhealthy" level for general populations in Auburn northeast of Sacramento, forcing some area schools to close all week, according to CBS Sacramento.

A man charged with starting the fire, Wayne Allen Huntsman, 37, pleaded not guilty to arson Friday. He remains in the El Dorado County jail on $10 million bail.