40,000 ACRES AND GROWING
Cal Fire: Dixie Fire doubles in size in 24 hours
PULGA >> The Dixie Fire has more than doubled in size over the last 24 hours, and with isolated thunderstorms expected in the area overnight, firefighters on Monday focused on widening and strengthening control lines around the perimeter of the fire.
The fire was mapped at 40,500 acres Monday night according to Cal Fire’s latest estimate, growing by more than 10,000 acres during a day in which a large pyrocumulus smoke column was visible over the fire. It appeared to create several flashes of lightning in the area as well.
Containment remains at 15 percent. By comparison, the fire was at 18,702 acres Sunday night.
No structures have been damaged or destroyed, though Cal Fire estimates 810 structures are threatened in the fire’s current path.
Tony Brownell, Cal Fire operations section chief, said Monday morning there were two dominant plumes on the fire moving in two different directions Sunday.
One area pushed toward Spring Val
No structures have been damaged or destroyed, though Cal Fire estimates 810 structures are threatened in the fire’s current path.
ley and Philbrook, but firefighters held it, and it did not go outside of the established containment lines.
The northeastern corner of the fire jumped Highway 70 on Sunday and debris covered portions of the roadway, causing a hard closure in Butte County, 14.3 miles east of the Clark Road junction, into Plumas County. Brownell said they have crews engaged in that area trying to cut the fire off.
“It’s a very challenging fire because of the terrain and the fuels, but we are making progress and we’re getting around the fire,” Brownell said.
On Monday afternoon, the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office issued additional evacuation orders to include:
• Caribou Road north to the Humbug Road and Humboldt Road intersection. This includes Belden Reservoir and Butt Valley Reservoir;
• Prattville Butt Reservoir Road and everything west to the Butte-Plumas county line;
• Seneca south to Highway 70.
The Sheriff’s Office advised residents should “leave the area immediately. If you remain emergency personnel may not be able to assist you. Personnel are responding to issue in person notices.”
The orders followed several that were issued on Sunday in both Plumas and Butte counties.
In Butte County, Philbrook and Jonseville were placed on an evacuation order. In Plumas County, evacuation orders were extended to include Bucks Lake and Meadow Valley. Others under evacuation orders are the High Lakes area (Plumas County east of the Butte-Plumas County line), and both sides of Highway 70 including Rock Creek, Storrie, Tobin, Belden, Caribou, Rich Bar and Twain.
There are also evacuation warnings for Butte Meadows and Inskip, which the Butte County Sheriff’s Office issued Sunday afternoon.
There is currently an evacuation center established for residents at Quincy High School, located at 6 Quincy Junction Road. The Oroville Church of the Nazarene served as an evacuation center before it closing at 4 p.m. Monday.
A small animal shelter has also opened at Old County Hospital, located at 2279 Del Oro and Mono Ste. E in Oroville, with intake hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
A total of 1,918 personnel are currently assigned to the fire, including 110 engines, 54 hand crews, 29 bulldozers, 19 water tenders and 17 helicopters. There are also “numerous” air tankers from around the state helping with fire suppression efforts “as conditions allow.”