California wildfires update: Dixie Fire, Beckwourth Complex still forcing evacuations
More than 1,000 personnel are now battling the Dixie Fire, which has grown to nearly 8,000 acres in Northern California, prompting evacuation orders in parts of Plumas County as well as warnings in parts of Butte County that were ravaged by the Camp Fire in 2018.
Cal Fire’s Butte Unit on Friday morning reported the fire at 7,947 acres, up from about 2,250 the previous morning, with containment moving to 7% from 0%.
The Dixie Fire is burning in Plumas County, in steep, inaccessible terrain near the Feather River Canyon that is making access difficult, authorities say. One first responder has been injured, the state fire agency says.
“Firefighters were engaged on the entire fire” Thursday night, Cal Fire said in an incident report.
No structures have been damaged or destroyed.
The Plumas County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday evening upgraded warnings to mandatory evacuation orders in the areas of High Lakes, and from the Plumas-Butte county line east to Tobin, including both sides of Highway 70.
Evacuation advisories remain warnings east of Tobin, in the communities of Belden and Caribou, sheriff’s officials say.
Northeast winds have pushed the fire north toward Tobin Ridge, away from the Butte County towns of Pulga and Concow, but evacuation warnings remained in place in those areas, Cal Fire and Butte sheriff’s officials said Thursday evening.
On Thursday, Cal Fire spokesman Capt. Jacob Gilliam said the plan was to make use of control lines put in place during the 2018 Camp Fire and the 2020 North Complex fire, and build on them to keep the fire from burning toward populated parts of Butte County.
“If it goes beyond those lines, the fire will move towards areas that are populated,” Gilliam said.
The Dixie Fire is one of several wildfires burning in California in mid-July, as strong winds meet very dry conditions.
Here are updates on two other major fires burning in the state, as of 8 a.m. Friday.
Beckwourth Complex
The Beckwourth Complex, made up of the Sugar Fire and now-contained Dotta Fire, has burned more than 100,000 acres in Plumas National Forest near the Nevada state line, about 35 miles northwest of Reno.
The Sugar Fire destroyed more than 30 homes in the small town of Doyle, population 700, over the weekend, authorities said.
Lassen County sheriff’s officials said Thursday evening that mandatory evacuation orders are in place in part of Doyle, west of Highway 395 from Laura Drive to County Road A25, with evacuation warnings in place in other parts of Doyle.
Highway 395 is closed from County Road A25 to Hallelujah Junction, except for those evacuating.
The fire flared up Wednesday due to “extreme fire behavior,” with winds near 50 mph, according to updates from the U.S. Forest Service.
The Forest Service as of 9 p.m. Thursday said the fire had reached 104,826 acres (164 square miles) and was 68% contained.
Nearly 2,500 fire personnel are assigned to the incident, California’s largest of 2021.
The complex started more than two weeks ago, with the Dotta Fire igniting June 30 and Sugar Fire on July 2. Both were sparked by lightning, authorities say.
River Fire
The River Fire, which ignited Sunday afternoon along the Mariposa-Madera county line, has burned 9,500 acres.
Cooler weather in the area has helped boost containment to 51% from 36% on Thursday, according to Cal Fire, and evacuation orders, evacuation warnings and road closures have been lifted in both counties.
More than 1,100 personnel remain assigned to the wildfire, which has destroyed five structures.
Dry lightning forecast in Bay Area
A surge of monsoonal moisture could bring thunderstorms and a chance of dry lightning to the Bay Area on Sunday or Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
While lightning strikes could spark new wildfires, forecasters are not anticipating a repeat of a monsoonal event last summer that triggered a series of devastating blazes throughout the region.
The Bay Area has already seen one significant fire this season when the Willow Fire sparked in June in the Los Padres National Forest. It charred 2,877 acres before being contained.
This story was originally published July 16, 2021 at 8:29 AM with the headline "California wildfires update: Dixie Fire, Beckwourth Complex still forcing evacuations."
