Fast-moving Delta blaze forces hundreds of drivers to abandon vehicles

Rafael Lomeli sat helpless in his truck, surrounded by a wall of flames that had jumped over the 5 Freeway in Northern California.

He called his family to tell them he loved them; then he prayed. In the back of his semi truck sat 2,000 gallons of bottled water.

The sky grew dark and cloudy as the wind started to blow. A hellish scene soon developed along the 5 as 300-foot flames burned through tall pines and firs.

One driver stopped in front of Lomeli, got out of his car with a boy and ran in the opposite direction. Several others followed, including a family and about 15 firefighters that had just arrived at the scene. He was about to do the same - until he saw the flames behind him.

The windows of Lomeli's truck were hot to the touch. He blasted the air