California King Fire Update: Heavy Rain Aids Containment Effort, Sparks Mudslide Concerns

Heavy rains are aiding the fight against the massive King Fire, which is now 55 percent contained. 

"Already we have a plume of persistent rain drenching the area. We're seeing reports of half an inch of rain in 2 hours -- not nearly as heavy as some of the flood events elsewhere in the country this year, but when that happens on a rugged area that just lost all of its vegetation to a massive wildfire, it's enough to bring a threat of flooding and mudslides," weather.com meteorologist Nick Wiltgen said. 

The fire has grown to nearly 150 square miles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention. 

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The King fire has pushed around 2,800 people from their homes and dense smoke has filled nearby towns, according to CBS San Francisco. The report also mentions passengers inside planes flying overhead are having no trouble spotting the smoke plume.

Evacuees from Swansboro, a mountain community of about 400 homes, were allowed to return Wednesday night. Some 2,800 people overall had been evacuated, but it wasn't immediately clear how many remained.

Wayne Allen Huntsman, 37, has been charged with starting the King Fire. He has pleaded not guilty to arson and remains in jail on $10 million bail

The King Fire has become the second priciest blaze in California this year, costing more than $50 million to fight since it began nearly two weeks ago. The state spent more than $85 million fighting a fire in Klamath National Forest along the California-Oregon border.

The blaze is one of nearly 5,000 wildfires in California this year, a 26 percent increase compared to an average year of about 3,900.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Images of the King Fire and other California Wildfires