Fire at a glance (numbers)
- Incident Name: North Complex
- State: CA
- Lead Agency: PNF
- Size (acres): 291,200
- Percent Contained: 62%
- Estimate of Containment: November 12, 2020
- Personnel: 3,099
- Structures Destroyed: 1,654
North Complex, Plumas NF, USFS. Unified command between IMT 1 (CA Team 4) and IMT 1 (Cal Fire Team 4). One mile southwest of Crescent Mills, CA. Timber and brush. Active fire behavior with running, spotting and isolated torching. Several communities and communication infrastructure threatened. Evacuations, area, road and trail closures in effect.
September 19, 2020 at 7:19 PM
South Zone:
There were no holding issues with the fire perimeter along the Sly Creek Reservoir to Onion Valley, it will continue to be monitored and patrolled. Priority of resources have begun to shift towards the firing operations along Cleghorn Road, west of LaPorte Road. Day shift resources began ignitions and night shift will continue firing if conditions remain favorable. The eastern portion of the fire continues to hold within containment lines, residual smoke from burning stump holes or heavy logs may be observed within the interior.
North Zone:
With the clearer weather today, aircraft were available to assist ground resources with the few spot fires around Red Mountain Road. The constructed line through Grizzly Big Creek to the south of Grizzly Forebay was tied into previous line from the Bucks Fire back into Oro Quincy Road and the plan is to have night shift conduct ignitions along Grizzly Big Creek. This will secure the eastern portion which will reduce the threat to structures around Bucks Lake, Highlands, Haskins, Meadow Valley and Tollgate.
West Zone:
The western and southern perimeters of the fire lines are holding and hose is being removed from some of those areas. The southeast perimeter of the fire continues to burn in heavy fuels and steep terrain south to Lost Creek and to the southwest down to the South Fork of the Feather River. A spot fire did develop across the South Fork of the Feather River last night and has burned 150 acres. Firefighters continue to work on containing that spot which has remained within the established fire lines.
The bear that was found injured in the West Zone of the North Complex is currently in stable but guarded condition.
September 19, 2020 at 1:09 PM
All air tankers are off the North Complex due to poor visibility.
September 19, 2020 at 11:34 AM
South Zone:
Mop-up and construction of dozer line from Sly Creek Reservoir up to Onion Valley will continue today. An incoming west-southwest wind pattern will test containment lines in east-west oriented drainages along the entire east flank of the fire. Handline built along Fingerboard Ridge west of LaPorte Road is now ready for tactical firing when weather conditions are favorable. The eastern portion of the fire continues to hold within containment lines.
North Zone:
Today, priorities will be tying in containment lines between Willow Creek and Red Mountain, and from Red Mountain west across Granite Basin to Four Trees, working to defend nearby communities. Firing operations will start once these indirect containment lines are built to box in the fire’s edge.
From Four Trees down to Big Bend, crews also made great progress in mop up efforts. Today they plan to continue securing any embers that spot over the north side of Oro-Quincy Road.
West Zone:
On the southeast perimeter the fire continues to burn in heavy fuels and steep terrain south to Lost Creek and to the southwest down to the South Fork of the Feather River. The fire did make some runs well north of Forbestown but remained within the established fire lines. Contingency lines in the Cherokee Contingency Branch have been completed.
At 4:30 am: Evacuations north and east of where New York House Road meets La Porte Road that have been in place for the past several days, and the fire has again begun to move toward that region. The fire flared up and moved across the fire line, just north of the Yuba County border. Residents who never left the evacuation zone need to leave that area immediately. Additional firefighting resources have been called in to battle the blaze. We will update you as we get more details.
September 18, 2020 at 12:24 PM
BCSO is lifting the Evacuation Warning for the area of Kelly Ridge from Lake Oroville WEST to Canyon Dr, not east as initially advised.
Air tanker traffic is picking up again due to the favorable weather conditions. Numerous tankers assigned to the North Complex use the Grass Valley Air Attack Base (GVAAB) to refuel and reload retardant. GVAAB is one of the two closest bases for the smaller tankers assigned to the fire. Yesterday, GVAAB pumped over 35,000 gallons of retardant. The North Complex is 287,181 acres and 41% contained.
September 18, 2020 at 7:55 AM
South Zone: Slightly calmer weather last night helped firefighters gain depth on mop up and containment on hand lines. Crews continued constructing indirect hand line tying into the middle fork of the Feather River along Fingerboard Ridge.
North Zone: Last night fire activity was fairly calm. Crews worked on containing the spot fires north of Red Mountain but there was no significant growth. Firefighters will continue to hold and mop-up in that area today, preventing threats to current containment lines and getting around slopovers.
In the western portion of the fire, crews held the fire in check and plan to continue preparing Oro-Quincy Highway from the Four Trees area to Big Bend.
West Zone: Winds settled down overnight and cooler temperatures arrived with higher humidity. Today we will see more smoke pulled over the fire from the August complex. Temperatures will remain cooler and humidity higher with less winds bringing subdued conditions to the fire. Saturday we will see warmer temperature’s with elevated humidities.
The most active fire is burning in areas of heavy fuels and in steep-rugged terrain as shown here. Firefighters continue to engage in constructing direct and indirect fire lines. The fire did spot across the South Fork of the Feather River yesterday afternoon, north of Clipper Mills. Firefighters were successful in containing both spot fires last night. Mop and patrol continues over other parts of the fire area.
September 17, 2020 at 7:06 PM
South Zone: Firefighters continue to make progress gaining containment from Sly Creek Reservoir to Little Grass Valley. Winds were strong earlier in the day within the steep terrain of Onion Valley. Crews worked hard to continue constructing indirect hand line tying into the middle fork of the Feather River along Fingerboard Ridge. This is a parallel ridgeline west of LaPorte Road. Helicopters were able to make drops in this active area of the fire to assist ground crews in inaccessible terrain. Smoke produced from this area of the fire blew northwest into Quincy and its surrounding communities east along highway 70.
North Zone: Efforts to contain spot fires north of Red Mountain and Willow Creek continued today with hand crews and bulldozers. Crews are working hard to contain the spot fire using existing roads, while also preparing indirect containment lines west to Oro-Quincy Highway. Helicopters were also able to get in the air today to assist ground crews with the large spot fire near Grizzly Lake. In the western portion of the fire, crews held the fire in check and plan to continue preparing Oro-Quincy Highway from the Four Trees area to Big Bend.
West Zone: Aircraft were used more today than in previous days supporting ground personnel. The fire did spot across the South Fork of the Feather River this afternoon, north of Clipper Mills. Firefighters are currently working on cutting lines around both spot fires and are confident that they will be contained tomorrow.
September 17, 2020 at 4:24 PM
September 17, 2020 at 4:04 PM
Increased fire activity, including a spot fire in the north side of Lost Creek. Helicopter is working small spots and 4 SEATs are painting the ridgeline. Crews sent to Forbestown Reservoir Road to scout for possible handlines.
September 17, 2020 at 9:18 AM
Evacuation order has been issued for the Community of Meadow Valley due to a wildfire. This includes all areas in between Big Creek/Bucks Lake Road intersection, east to Snake Lake Road. You should leave the area immediately! If you remain, emergency personnel may not be able to help you. An evacuation center is being set up at the Springs of Hope Church located at 59 Bell Lane Quincy. Emergency personnel will be going door to door to conduct in person notifications.
September 17, 2020 at 7:58 AM
South Zone: Due to increased humidity and lower temperatures, firefighters continued to make good progress gaining containment from Sly Creek Reservoir to Little Grass Valley. The fire remained active in the steep and rugged terrain of Onion Valley. Crews will also continue to construct indirect hand line along Fingerboard Ridge, a north/south ridgeline west of LaPorte Road. Containment lines along the northeast portion of the fire continue to hold.
North Zone: Priorities last night focused on containing spot fires, the largest of which is now approximately 200 acres on the northwest side of Red Mountain. Firefighters made good progress, and this area will continue to be the priority for resources today. Crews are working hard to contain the spots using existing roads, while also preparing indirect containment lines west to Oro-Quincy Highway.
In the western portion of the fire, crews held the fire within containment lines and plan to continue preparing Oro-Quincy Highway from the Four Trees area to Big Bend, working west to the Camp Fire burn scar.
West Zone: Limited visibility due to smoke has limited the use of fixed wing and helicopters to support ground personnel. The fire is actively burning in the South Fork of the Feather River with no known fire history over the past 100 years.
September 16, 2020 at 8:54 PM
South Zone:
Today crews strengthened containment lines and mopped up remaining heat north of Sly Creek Reservoir along Mooreville Ridge. Southwest winds caused the fire to remain active in Onion Valley, keeping the priority of reinforcing indirect fire line along ridges and roads tying into LaPorte Road.
Containment lines along the northeast portion of the fire continue to hold. Firefighters will continue patrolling, backhauling equipment and initiating road repairs.
North Zone:
As expected, fire behavior increased on Red Mountain today. Two spot fires approximately 11 and 23 acres in size were located in the Grizzly Lake area, south of Oro-Quincy Highway. Crews are working hard to contain the spots using existing roads, while also preparing indirect containment lines west to Oro-Quincy Highway. In the western portion of the fire, crews held the fire within containment lines and plan to continue preparing Oro-Quincy Highway north of Big Bend.
West Zone:
The favorable weather conditions during the day enabled the firefighters to be successful in strengthening several existing containment lines, developing new containment lines and extinguishing several interior hot spots to prevent further spread. Several contingency fire lines have been completed. View dozers at work here.
The utility companies have started working on the damaged infrastructure where safe to do so in the fire area. More work will continue as other areas of the fire are deemed safe.
September 16, 2020 at 2:14 PM
September 16, 2020 at 7:44 AM
South Zone: Last night containment lines held due reduced fire behavior with cooler temperatures and lighter winds. Crews did have a very small slopover on the south side of the Little Grass Valley Dam, however, they were able to contain it. Firefighters will continue focusing on reinforcing fire lines from Minerva Bar south to the Pacific Crest Trail.
Along Mooreville Ridge, crews plan to continue mop up and improve containment lines while also reinforcing bulldozer lines along LaPorte Road. Along the northeast portion of the fire containment lines are holding well. Firefighters plan to continue patrolling, backhauling equipment and initiating road repairs.
North Zone: Fire behavior continued to moderate at Red Mountain, and firefighters were successful in tying in their lines together using a small firing operation as planned. Spotting behavior is still expected to occur today in a receptively dry fuel bed in the 1999 Bucks Fire scar. Firefighters are continually monitoring the area, both on the ground and by unmanned aerial systems (drones). Crews will also be constructing and strengthening lines and prepping road systems west to Oro-Quincy Road. Firefighters will continue constructing bulldozer line by anchoring along the Oro-Quincy Road west into the Camp Fire burn scar.
West Zone: Aircraft will be available to assist the firefighters on the ground if there is good visibility over the fire area and they are able to take off from the surrounding airports. Yesterday, a few times, smoke developed over the fire which hampered aircraft utilization. The mild weather last night enabled the firefighters to be further successful in strengthening several existing containment lines, developing new containment lines and extinguishing several interior hot spots to prevent further spread. Several contingency fire lines have been completed.
September 15, 2020 at 7:07 PM
Firing operations in either zone will be dependent on weather conditions tonight.
North Zone:
The fire was most active today on Red Mountain where winds cast spot fires approximately one half-mile ahead of the slopover that formed overnight. Firefighters focused their efforts to contain them here and in Willow Creek area where additional spotting occurred, and plan to continue picking them up throughout the night. Crews also constructed bulldozer line on both the east and west sides of this slopover to box it in at Oro-Quincy Road.
Moving west, firefighters were successful in containing other previous small spot fires and slopovers, while holding the fire along constructed bulldozer lines.
To the northeast side of the fire, containment lines are holding well. Firefighters plan to continue patrolling, while also backhauling equipment and initiating road repairs.
South Zone:
Crews were able to progress with a small amount of firing along the Pacific Crest Trail to Chimney Rock. Just north of Onion Valley winds continue to slowly push the fire northeast into the steep terrain where crews focused on constructing indirect lines to eventually catch it.
Along Mooreville Ridge, crews continued to successfully mop up and improve containment lines from Little Grass Valley Reservoir area south to Sly Creek Reservoir, while also constructing and reinforcing bulldozer lines along LaPorte Road.
West Zone:
Aircraft, in most cases, had good visibility to be able to fly over the fire assisting firefighters on the ground. A few times smoke did develop over the fire and hampered some aircraft utilization.
Firefighters continue to be successful in strengthening several existing containment lines, developing new containment lines and extinguishing several interior hot spots in an attempt to prevent further spread. Firefighters continue to fight to get into those areas of difficult access to make sure those areas of the fire are contained. Because of the dangerous rugged terrain there has been firefighter injuries. Several contingency fire lines are being developed as well.
September 15, 2020 at 7:58 AM
North Zone: Fire activity was active last night as winds surfaced resulting in a slopover that moved north through Granite Basin, on the south side of Oro Quincy Highway. Today this area will be the top priority of firefighters.
Other areas of the fire remained within the current footprint with no major movement from Willow Creek west to Big Bend. Firefighters will continue to work on containing spot fires from yesterday. Structure protection groups are in place surrounding the fire’s perimeter to protect nearby communities.
South Zone: Last night crews held the fire within containment lines and conducted significant mop up. Most fire activity was located in Onion Valley and by Wilson-Gomez Mine due to the winds. Today, if weather conditions allow, crews will continue firing east to Chimney Rock, which will eventually tie into a small section of LaPorte Road (several miles north of the town of La Porte). Crews plan to hold and mop up along Mooreville Ridge from Sly Creek Reservoir up to Little Grass Valley, while also constructing and reinforcing bulldozer lines.
WestZone: Firefighters continue to be successful in strengthening several existing containment lines, developing new containment lines and extinguishing several interior hot spots in an attempt to prevent further spread. Even though the fire did not spread any further last night there is still potential. Firefighters continue to fight to get into those areas of difficult access to make sure those areas of the fire are contained. Because of the dangerous rugged terrain there has been one firefighter injury. Several contingency fire lines are being developed as well. CAL FIRE Damage Assessment Teams continue the documentation of destroyed and damaged structures within the fire area.
September 14, 2020 at 7:31 PM
North Zone:
Red Flag conditions tested containment lines today, however they held within the current perimeter. Resources in the most active areas of the fire made great progress today building containment lines from Lookout Rock down to Big Bend.
Despite red flag conditions, favorable winds allowed for a small firing operation earlier today at Four Trees to ensure the fire’s edge was kept in check, guiding it up to Oroville Quincy Highway. One 40-acre spot fire was caught on the north side of the highway by Frog Rock, but firefighters are confident they will contain it tonight.
Structure protection groups are in place surrounding the fire’s perimeter to protect nearby communities.
South Zone:
Containment lines remained secure today while crews engaged in significant mop up work along Mooreville Ridge from Sly Creek Reservoir to Little Grass Valley.
With favorable winds and slightly clearer air conditions, two small strategic firing operations were executed along the north side of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) to Onion Valley, and in the extremely steep terrain of McCarthy’s Bar. During that small window of time when clearer skies allowed for aircraft to fly, two type 1 helicopters made water drops to support firefighters in these areas. Tonight if conditions allow, crews will continue firing along the PCT east to Chimney Rock, which will eventually tie into a small section of LaPorte Road (several miles north of the town of La Porte).
West Zone:
The predicted gusty southwest winds and low humidity with periods of near critical fire weather conditions did not materialize as predicted today nor will it over the next two days. There will be an increase in temperatures but the humity will stay relatively high. The smoke layer over the fire has started to diperse due to the slight increase in winds over the fire. Because of this, aircraft will have the visibility to be able to fly over the fire but the clearing of the smoke will have a negative effect on the fire causing the fire activity to increase.
September 14, 2020 at 8:16 AM
Firefighters made great progress last night and were able to increase containment to 38% despite the overall acreage increasing approximately 2,900 acres.
North Zone: Firefighters were able to conduct night firing operations near Four Trees, and will continue to prep contingency lines off of roads in the area and on Red Mountain. Priority for firefighting resources remains the areas south of Bucks Lake where firefighters will work to secure all the progress made by night firing operations. Structure protection groups are in place surrounding the fire’s perimeter to protect nearby communities.
South Zone: Containment lines remained secure, while some interior islands of fuel burned in the steep terrain of the McCarthy’s Bar area. Firefighters were successful in working the fire’s edge along Mooreville Ridge to Sly Creek Reservoir.
West Zone:
Last night, firefighters continued to prepare areas of the fire that will be impacted by the predicted Red Flag Warning with south west winds coming in on Monday, late morning, over the fire area.
CAL FIRE has released a map of properties damaged and destroyed within the North Complex, West Zone fire. The Map includes a list of damaged and destroyed structures provided by CAL FIRE’s Damage Inspection Teams. Damage inspections, including locations, are preliminary and numerous sites still require confirmation. The CAL FIRE Damage Inspection teams are working as quickly as possible to supply the needed information to those that were evacuated during the firestorm. CAL FIRE Damage Inspection teams were deployed to the fire zones early on during the fires to start the identification process. You can find the link to the map here or type in this link, (https://tinyurl.com/y3jmzxnj). Residents may not return to those areas where the Evacuation Order’s remain.
A Red Flag Warning is in effect today from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. due to a combination of gusty southwest winds up to 35 mph with humidity in the teens. Significant smoke will remain in the region, but may decrease throughout the afternoon. Smoke outlook: fires.airfire.org/outlooks/EasternSierra or www.airnow.gov/
September 13, 2020 at 7:41 PM
Two additional fatalities were reported today by the Butte County Sheriff’s Department, bringing the total to 14.
North Zone: Mop up continues around the northeastern perimeter of the fire, and lines continue to hold well. Thanks to cooperative winds, firefighters were able to continue protecting the Lookout Rock and Ontop Mine areas. Moving west, fire activity is more active and in rugged terrain. Crews were able to engage directly with the fire’s edge and mop up other areas, working toward their goal of tying into the 2018 Camp Fire scar.
Some spotting behavior did occur, however firefighters were quick to catch them. Night crews plan to revisit areas that were already fired to make sure they are complete and secure. Structure protection groups are in place surrounding the fire’s perimeter to protect nearby communities, taking extra care in getting through the incoming wind event.
South Zone: Firefighters made great progress today in improving and securing containment lines, and were successful in making the final connection between Little Grass Valley Reservoir south along Mooreville Ridge to Sly Creek Reservoir. In the extremely steep terrain near McCarthy’s Bar, crews were able to start firing operations which will eventually back into the main body of the fire.
September 13, 2020 at 8:39 AM
EVACUATION WARNING due to fire and expected wind event for the area West of Table Mountain to HWY 70, North of Garden Dr and the water canal.
Evacuation Orders:
Evacuation Orders:
Per the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, ( https://www.facebook.com/bcsonews ), the following areas are under an evacuation order:
- Communities of Feather Falls. Berry Creek, Brush Creek- area east of Lake Oroville south of Hwy 70, west of the county line, and south to Forbestown Road.
- Communities of Mt. Ida, Bangor- All areas east of Miners Ranch Rd will remain under evacuation order.
- Community of Kelly Ridge- area east of Foothill Road, south of Lake Oroville and Lake Canyon Dr, west from Hwy 162 and Miners Ranch Road , of Foothill Blvd.
- Community of Cherokee- area east of Hwy 70, West to the west branch of Lake Oroville, south of Hwy 70, north to the Thermalito Diversion Pool.
Per the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office, ( https://www.facebook.com/plumascountysheriff ), the following areas are under an evacuation order:
- La Porte – Little Grass Valley Reservoir: All residents, campgrounds, and recreational facilities near Little Grass Valley Reservoir and the town of La Porte. Onion Valley south to the county line.
- Bucks Lake – From Bucks Lake Rd (Highway 162) at the Plumas / Butte County Line east to Bucks Lake Rd at Big Creek Road (east intersection). This includes Bucklin Road from Mill Creek Campground south to Bucks Lake Road, all residents, recreational facilities, campgrounds in the Bucks Lake area.
Per the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office, ( https://www.facebook.com/yubacountysheriff ) the following areas are under an evacuation order:
- Yuba Zone 1- Area east New York Flat Rd, south of the County line, west of LaPorte Rd, and north of LaPorte Rd.
- Yuba Zone 2- areas west of Bullards Bar Lake, east of La Porte Rd, south of the County line, and north Bullards Bar Rd and Fountainhouse Rd.
- Yuba Zone 3- Areas north of Westcott Rd., west of New York Flat Rd, south of the county line, and east of the county line.
- Note: Within Yuba Zone 3, Yuba Zone 3A has been reduced to an Evacuation Warning- Consisting of the areas of East of Willow Glenn Rd., South of La Porte Rd., West of the intersection of Martin Way and LaPorte Rd. , areas of Wescott way and Willow Glen Rd.
September 13, 2020 at 7:17 AM
Civilian Fatalities: 12
Structures Destroyed/Damaged: 325 Destroyed, 31 Damaged (partial report)
Structures Threatened: 23,356
North Zone: Fire activity was calm last night with humidity increasing and smoke laying over the area. Firefighters will continue firing operations today while conditions allow in the Lookout Rock and Ontop Mine areas. Crews will continue to secure what was already fired, with the goal of meeting indirect bulldozer lines where the 2018 Camp Fire scar is located. Structure protection groups are in place surrounding the fire’s perimeter to protect nearby communities, taking extra care in getting through the next incoming wind event.
South Zone: Fire activity was also calm last night in the south zone as firefighters worked to improve containment lines. Near McCarthy’s Bar, crews will continue scouting for the best opportunities to bring fire between ridgelines and current containment lines. Crews will continue constructing hand line from the west shore of Little Grass Valley Reservoir, moving south along Mooreville Ridge and Sly Creek Reservoir.
West Zone: Due to the size, location, difficult access of this fire and predicted weather, the firefighters have a significant amount of work to still complete. Firefighters are prepping areas of the fire that will be impacted by the predicted south west winds coming in on Sunday and Monday over the fire area. CAL FIRE Damage Assessment Teams continue the documentation of destroyed and damaged structures within the fire area. 74,000 acres and 15% contained.
September 12, 2020 at 7:17 PM
This evening, the Butte County Sheriff’s department reported an additional three fatalities on the fire, bringing the total to 12.
North Zone: Firefighters continued gaining depth mopping up along the north and northeastern flank. Moving west, firing operations conducted today in the Lookout Rock and Ontop Mine areas will continue progressing tonight using indirect bulldozer lines to meet with the 2018 Camp Fire scar. Structure protection groups are in place surrounding the fire’s perimeter to protect nearby communities.
South Zone: Firefighters will work tonight to improve containment lines built today. Near McCarthy’s Bar, crews will continue scouting for the best opportunities to bring fire between ridgelines and current containment lines. Moving south, firefighters were successful in engaging directly with the fire’s edge. Tomorrow, they plan to continue constructing hand line around the west shore of Little Grass Valley Reservoir south along Mooreville Ridge and Sly Creek Reservoir.
West Zone: This area is being managed by CAL FIRE Team 4. Firefighters have been successful in strengthening several existing containment lines, developing new containment lines and extinguishing several interior hot spots to prevent further spread. They will continue to fight to get into those areas of difficult access to make sure that those areas of the fire will be contained. Due to the size, location, difficult access and predicted weather, the firefighters have a significant amount of work to still complete. Firefighters are prepping areas of the fire that will be impacted by the predicted south west winds coming in on Sunday and Monday over the fire area.
September 12, 2020 at 6:07 PM
BCSO is LIFTING the EVACUATION WARNING for the area South of Oro Dam Blvd, Olive Hwy and Foothill Blvd, West of Oro Bangor Hwy. West of Lincoln Blvd and South of the Feather River.
September 12, 2020 at 8:40 AM
North Zone: Firefighters continued to make good progress on securing containment lines and there was no significant fire growth. Firing operations will be focused around the Lookout Rock and Ontop Mine areas. Structure protection groups continue to work in communities surrounding the fire’s perimeter.
South Zone: The most activity was located on the western side of Little Grass Valley, where firefighters continue to scout for opportunities to establish direct and indirect line construction.
West Zone: The weather continues to work in the firefighters favor with decreased winds, lower temperatures, and higher humidities, allowing crews to aggressively fight fire and develop further containment lines. The lack of visibility continues to be a factor, as heavy smoke in the area of the fire hampers the ability of aircraft to fight the fire from above. However, as the smoke clears, aircraft will become available to assist the firefighters on the ground.
CAL FIRE has released a map of properties damaged and destroyed within the North Complex, West Zone fire. The Map includes a list of damaged and destroyed structures provided by CAL FIRE’s Damage Inspection Teams. Damage inspections, including locations, are preliminary and numerous sites still require confirmation. The CAL FIRE Damage Inspection teams are working as quickly as possible to supply the needed information to those that were evacuated during the firestorm. CAL FIRE Damage Inspection teams were deployed to the fire zones early on during the fires to start the identification process. You can find the link to the map here or type in this link, (https://tinyurl.com/y3jmzxnj).
Residents may not return to those areas where the Evacuation Order’s remain. Please monitor the Butte County Sheriff Facebook page and news releases from CAL FIRE for ongoing information as to when evacuations are lifted. You will not be able to return to your property until it is safe to do so. For more information, as to what to look for when returning home after a wildfire go to https://www.readyforwildfire.org/post-wildfire/ .
September 11, 2020 at 8:55 PM
Heavy smoke lay over the fire and surrounding landscape today as a result of burning within the interior of the North Complex combined with a prominent southwest breeze. The smoke is not indicative of any significant change in the fire’s footprint. While challenging for human health, the smoke moderated fire behavior in all zones today.
North Zone: Crews continue to create a buffer to slow fire progression and protect the Bucks Lake, Haskins, and Highlands areas. The fire remains 5 miles from the Meadow Valley and Tollgate areas. Fire line in the northeast part of the fire is holding well.
South Zone: There was active fire behavior close to the west shoreline of Little Grass Valley Reservoir. Crews are successfully keeping fire distant from structures. The community of La Porte is being protected by fire line and hose lays. Approximately 500 firefighters will be moving to a second fire camp in Brownsville in order to work in the south zone more efficiently.
West Zone: The weather continues to work in the firefighters favor with decreased winds, lower temperatures, and higher humidities, allowing crews to aggressively fight fire and develop further containment lines. However the lack of visibility continues to be a factor, as heavy smoke in the area of the fire hampers the ability of aircraft to fight the fire from above. Firefighters continue to strengthen existing fire lines, develop new fires lines and extinguish interior hot spots to prevent further spread. CAL FIRE Damage Assessment Teams have started the documentation of destroyed and damaged structures within the fire area. (70,500 acres and 5% contained.)
September 11, 2020 at 6:00 PM
September 11, 2020 at 5:41 PM
On Thursday, September 10, 2020 a CAL FIRE hand crew bus was destroyed by fire while battling the North Complex, West Zone. The crew was working in the area east of Forbestown Road, one of the very active areas of the fire. Due to changes in weather patterns and the dry fuel conditions the fire quickly progressed to area of the road where the crew bus was located. Even though the crew bus was destroyed, the crew was able to continue with their assignment on the fire.
There were no injuries. The incident is currently under review and there will be no further information at this time.
September 11, 2020 at 7:43 AM
North Zone: Crews detected and successfully responded to spot fires on the north edge of the fire last night. Today, crews will continue the multi-day project of constructing line to connect to Highway 70 in an area north of Elephant Butte and continue to reinforce structure protection in communities.
South Zone: Crews have constructed hand and dozer lines with hose lays and utilized existing roads to complete protection around the town of La Porte. Today, crews will continue to establish direct and indirect line and provide structure protection in the La Porte and Little Grass Valley Reservoir areas.
West Zone: This area is being managed by CAL FIRE/Butte County. 70,412 acres and 5% contained.
The weather continues to work in the firefighters favor with decreased winds, lower temperatures, and higher humidities, allowing crews to aggressively fight fire and develop further containment lines. However the lack of visibility continues to be a factor, as heavy smoke in the area of the fire hampers the ability of aircraft to fight the fire from above.
Firefighters will continue to strengthen fire lines and extinguish interior hot spots to protect threatened population centers. CAL FIRE Damage Assessment Teams will be in the fire area today and for several days after documenting the destroyed and damaged structures within the fire area.
- Per the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, ( https://www.facebook.com/bcsonews ), the following areas are under an evacuation order:
- Feather Falls, Clipper Mills, Berry Creek, Brush Creek, Forbestown, Kelly Ridge, Copley Acres
- Residents east of Miners Ranch Road at 162 and Oro-Bangor Road, which includes Bangor and parts of Mt. Ida
- Highway 70 at Cherokee Rd south to Thompson Flat Cemetery Road, and all points east to Lake Oroville.
Per the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office, (https://www.facebook.com/plumascountysheriff ), the following areas are under an evacuation order:
- La Porte – Little Grass Valley Reservoir: All residents, campgrounds, and recreational facilities near Little Grass Valley Reservoir and the town of La Porte. Onion Valley south to the county line.
- Bucks Lake – From Bucks Lake Rd (Highway 162) at the Plumas / Butte County Line east to Bucks Lake Rd at Big Creek Road (east intersection). This includes Bucklin Road from Mill Creek Campground south to Bucks Lake Road, all residents, recreational facilities, campgrounds in the Bucks Lake area.
Per the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office, ( https://www.facebook.com/yubacountysheriff ) the following areas are under an evacuation order:
- Residents in the area of the La Porte Road and NY Flat Road, north of Brownsville to the county line.
Forbestown, Clipper Mills, Woodleaf, Strawberry Valley - Northern Yuba County border from Strawberry Valley to Forbestown and south to Rackerby and Brownsville-Challenge all the way over the upper portion of Bullards Bar Reservoir
September 10, 2020 at 7:41 PM
North Zone: From Lee Summit to Claremont Peak, the fire remains in the current footprint. Crews are engaged with tactical firing operations near Lookout Rock and reinforcing structure protection in the Bucks Lake, Haskins, and Highlands areas. Crews are prepping existing roads and building dozer lines to tie in with old fire scars and contingency lines from the Camp Fire. This will eventually tie in with Highway 70 north of Elephant Butte.
South Zone: Tonight, crews will continue to construct line along the Pacific Crest Trail and prep a series of existing roads south of Little Grass Reservoir to tie into La Porte Road. Structures within the Little Grass Valley Reservoir area are not currently impacted or threatened by fire but are being prepped with structure protection and hose lays as a contingency.
West Zone: This area is being managed by CAL FIRE/Butte County: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/18/north-complex-fire/#incident-overview. Butte County Sheriff reported 7 additional civilian fatalities for a total of ten.
Evacuations and Road Closures
Mandatory evacuation orders and evacuation advisories are in place for Butte, Plumas, and Yuba Counties. Check the appropriate county’s Facebook page for their latest information.
Weather and Air Quality
Winds have shifted and are now coming from the west. Smoke is currently in the Hazardous category in Quincy and Chester and will continue through the night. Smoke outlook: https://fires.airfire.org/outlooks/EasternSierra .
September 10, 2020 at 6:37 PM
The fire actively burned through the night but did not experience significant growth. Crews maintained existing fire lines, limited additional spread, and continued structure protection efforts.
California Interagency Incident Management Team 4 entered unified command with CAL FIRE Team 4 today at 6 A.M. Tactical firing operations will be conducted to connect dozer lines and existing roads to reduce threat to the Bucks Lake area communities. Structure protection continues in the Little Grass Valley area. Roads systems are being assessed to determine the best locations to connect containment lines along the southeast section of the fire.
Changes to acreage and containment reflect more accurate mapping as a result of new infrared flight data.
WEST ZONE – *70,250 acres – 0% contained
Tuesday afternoon, the North Complex fire entered Butte County, driven by high winds, heavy fuels, and steep terrain. An eight-mile wide fire front bore down on northeastern Butte County. Firefighters spent Tuesday and into Wednesday morning engaged in life-saving and evacuation operations. Firefighters rescued more than 100 residents throughout the day and overnight as the fire did major damage to the communities of Berry Creek, Feather Falls, and others, and continues to be a threat to surrounding areas, including the city of Oroville.
The weather moderated on Wednesday evening with decreased winds, lower temperatures, and higher humidity, allowing crews to aggressively fight fire and develop containment lines. Lack of visibility continues to be a factor, as heavy smoke in the area of the fire hampers the ability of aircraft to fight the fire from above. The focus going forward is to strengthen fire lines to protect threatened population centers, and begin damage inspections.
Evacuations:
Per the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, the following areas are under an evacuation order:
Feather Falls, Clipper Mills, Berry Creek, Brush Creek, Forbestown, Kelly Ridge, Copley Acres
Residents east of Miners Ranch Road at 162 and Oro-Bangor Road, which includes Bangor and parts of Mt. Ida
Highway 70 at Cherokee Rd south to Thompson Flat Cemetery Road, and all points east to Lake Oroville.
Per the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office, the following areas are under an evacuation order:
La Porte – Little Grass Valley Reservoir: All residents, campgrounds, and recreational facilities near Little Grass Valley Reservoir and the town of La Porte. Onion Valley south to the county line.
Bucks Lake – From Bucks Lake Rd (Highway 162) at the Plumas / Butte County Line east to Bucks Lake Rd at Big Creek Road (east intersection). This includes Bucklin Road from Mill
Creek Campground south to Bucks Lake Road, all residents, recreational facilities, campgrounds in the Bucks Lake area.
Per the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office, the following areas are under an evacuation order:
Residents in the area of the La Porte Road and NY Flat Road, north of Brownsville to the county line.
Forbestown, Clipper Mills, Woodleaf, Strawberry Valley
Northern Yuba County border from Strawberry Valley to Forbestown and south to Rackerby and Brownsville-Challenge all the way over the upper portion of Bullards Bar Reservoir
Evacuation warnings are in effect for the following areas:
Quincy La Porte Road – from Highway 70 south to Red Bridge
New Meadow Valley – From Bucks Lake Road at Big Creek Road east to Snake Lake Road
New Feather River Canyon (Highway 70) – From the Plumas/Butte County Line east to Belden, this includes the Community of Belden.
Road Closures: Quincy La Porte Road from Highway 70 to Red Bridge is open to essential travel ONLY. Peppard Flat Road (the dirt portion) Quincy La Porte Road between the Plumas/Butte County Line and Bucks Lake Big Creek Road (east intersection) and all roads in between.
September 10, 2020 at 3:02 PM
On Wednesday, September 9, 2020 a CAL FIRE hand crew was overrun by fire while battling the North Complex, West Zone. Due to erratic changes in weather patterns and the dry fuel conditions the fire became extremely unpredictable very quickly. Due to the training and experience of the CAL FIRE Fire Captain and hand crew, they were able to escape virtually unharmed except for two minor injuries. The incident is currently under review and there will be no further information at this time.
September 10, 2020 at 9:05 AM
The fire actively burned through the night but did not experience significant growth. Crews maintained existing fire lines, limited additional spread, and continued structure protection efforts.
California Interagency Incident Management Team 4 entered unified command with CAL FIRE Team 4 today at 6 A.M. Tactical firing operations will be conducted to connect dozer lines and existing roads to reduce threat to the Bucks Lake area communities. Â Structure protection continues in the Little Grass Valley area. Roads systems are being assessed to determine the best locations to connect containment lines along the southeast section of the fire.
Changes to acreage and containment reflect more accurate mapping as a result of new infrared flight data.
Evacuations and Road Closures
Mandatory evacuation orders and evacuation advisories are in place in Butte, Plumas, and Yuba Counties.
Check the appropriate county’s Facebook page for their latest information.
• Butte County Sheriff’s Office: https://www.facebook.com/bcsonews
• Plumas County Sheriff’s Office: https://www.facebook.com/plumascountysheriff
• Yuba County Sheriff’s Office: https://www.facebook.com/yubacountysheriff
Weather and Air Quality
Typical southwest breezes will return this afternoon with warm and dry conditions. A smoke inversion is likely to increase smoky conditions. For specific smoke impacts to your area, visit www.airnow.gov.
September 9, 2020 at 8:19 PM
Division AA will continue towards Lookout Rock. Crews are utilizing the 24N28F spur in conjunction with direct line working west to Lookout Rock.
Branch VII will continue to prioritize values at risk to infrastructure placing resources where there is the highest probability of success to life threat and infrastructure.
Contingency Branch will be scouting areas south of the slop over.
Quebec Canadian crews will be inserted in Division DD to monitor, hold, and mop up the Middle Fork of the Feather River.
The North Complex will be going to a unified command with CALFire.
Projected Incident Activity
12hrs: The burning period may extend into the night due to poor RH recovery. Where open line exists, expect active fire behavior to include uphill runs and short range spotting. The potential for very active to extreme fire behavior exists where slop and wind align.
24hrs: The weather will remain hot and dry. Slightly better over night RH recoveries. Fuels will remain dry and very receptive. Forecasted SW winds will affect Divisions (MM/QQ,TT)in the North Zone. The potential for very active to extreme fire behavior exists where slope and wind align.
48hrs: A high pressure will surface over the next few days bringing with it continued SW winds and drying conditions. Fuels will remain receptive. Moderate overnight RH recoveries. A Haines of 5 will introduce an unstable dry air mass over the incident. Instability will increase fire growth and hamper control efforts.
72hrs: Temperatures will continue to increase over the next few days. RH will remain in the teens during the day with moderate recovery at night. The potential for very active to extreme fire behavior exists where slope and wind align. A Haines of 5 will introduce an unstable dry air mass over the incident. Instability will increase fire growth and hamper control efforts.
Anticipated after 72hrs: The potential for active fire remains.
Remarks
Type 1 and Type 2 hand crews are needed to prep and burn approximately 20 miles of primary line.
UASP needed to help assist with and augment infrared imagery.
Dozers, masticators, skidders, FALM and FOBS are needed to scout and construct fire line and contingency line in remote terrain.
Overhead resources are needed to manage firefighting crew and equipment, and to establish effective span of control.
September 9, 2020 at 4:59 PM
Road closures are currently established at the following locations in Butte County:
- Hwy 162 @ Forbestown Road
- Lumpkin Road @ Forbestown Road
- Forbestown Road @ Robinson Mill Road
- Lower Wyandotte Road @ Foothill Blvd.
September 9, 2020 at 3:55 PM
Plumas County residents who have shelter needs due to an evacuation please contact Plumas County Social Services at 530-283-6350. Due to the small amount of individuals who have expressed a shelter need we will be handling those needs requests as they come in for now. We will continually reassess. For animals in need of shelter, both large and small please contact Plumas County Animal Services at 530-283-3673. We have locations prepared for animals.
Animal Shelters
Plumas County
Contact Plumas County Animal Services
Yuba County
Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds Hosting Large and Small Animals
Yuba Posse Arena Housing Large and Small Animals
September 9, 2020 at 3:34 PM Fire is pushing towards the south. Photo courtesy Tony Kelsey
September 9, 2020 at 12:48 PM
A Mandatory Evacuation Order is in effect for Bucks LakeFrom Bucks Lake Rd (Highway 162) at the Plumas/Butte County Line east to Bucks Lake Road at Big Creek Road. This includes Bucklin Road from Mill Creek Campground south to Bucks Lake Road and, all residents, recreational facilities, campgrounds in the Bucks Lake area. You should leave the area immediately! If you remain, emergency personnel may not be able to help you. If you have shelter needs please contact Plumas County Social Services at 530-283-6350.
An Evacuation Advisory is in effect for:Meadow Valley: From Bucks Lake Road at Big Creek Road east to Snake Lake Road and Feather River Canyon (HWY 70): From the Plumas/Butte County Line east to Belden, this includes the Community of Belden. Please make preparations to evacuate. If you have special needs, you may want to evacuate now. If you have large animals, you should make arrangements to move them immediately. If the situation changes, additional alerts may be sent with updated information.
September 9, 2020 at 9:41 AM
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office is issuing an EVACUATION WARNING for the North side of Hwy 70 in the area of LOWER CONCOW.
September 9, 2020 at 8:40 AM
The North Complex Fire experienced extreme fire behavior and growth throughout the night after jumping the Middle Fork of the Feather River yesterday morning. Topography, high winds, and dry fuels aligned to produce unprecedented fire behavior. Spread rates of 1,000 acres per 30 minutes resulted in an additional 80,000 acres being added to the North Complex to the southwest of the original footprint. This is an evolving incident; maps and current fire size are constantly being updated and will be shared when available.
Firefighter and public safety remains the highest priority. Multiple communities have been evacuated with a likelihood of additional evacuations today. In light of this quickly evolving situation, the most up-to-date information will be found at the sheriff office websites shown below for Plumas, Butte, and Yuba counties.
A Virtual Community Meeting will be broadcast tonight on Facebook at 6 p.m.
Evacuations and Road Closures
Mandatory evacuation areas continue to be expanded. Evacuation shelters have been established. Check the appropriate county’s Facebook Page for their latest information as the situation is being constantly updated.
Weather and Air Quality
A Red Flag Warning remains in effect. Very dry air and gusty east/northeast winds will persist through the morning before decreasing and shifting east by early afternoon. For specific smoke impacts to your area, visit www.airnow.gov.
Forest Closure
September 9, 2020 at 8:04 AM
Fire behavior remained very active overnight as yesterdays winds pushed fire to the west. Evacuation Orders issued for several areas near Bucks Lake and east of Lake Oroville. Threats to Claremont Peak Communication site, private and Federal timberlands, several commercial mining sites, historical sites and Maidu cultural sites, protected and endangered species, Upper Feather River Watershed, Highway 70, and the Union Pacific railroad. Road, area and trail closures in effect. Hand crews from Quebec Canada assigned. Red Flag Warning in effect for gusty winds and low RH until Wednesday. Active large fires in the complex: Claremont/Bear: Unable to report due to 209 issues. California Type 1, Team 4 (Kurth) in command.
September 9, 2020 at 5:56 AM
September 9, 2020 at 2:36 AM
Mandatory Evacuations have been expanded in Yuba County. The map is difficult the read, but evacuations begin along the northern Yuba County border from Strawberry Valley to Forbestown and south to Rackerby and Brownsville-Challenge all the way over the upper portion of Bullards Bar Reservoir. Take routes to the south to move away from the fire zone.
Please take this evacuation seriously and begin moving immediately, to allow plenty of time to get to safety. The Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds in Yuba City is prepared to receive evacuees.
September 9, 2020 at 2:13 AM
September 9, 2020 at 2:04 AM
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office is issuing an EVACUATION WARNING for the areas of OROVILLE, BANGOR and PALERMO-HONCUT areas.
September 9, 2020 at 2:01 AM
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office is issuing an EVACUATION WARNING for the area of Highway 70 at Garden Dr., south to Lower Honcut Rd., Lower Honcut Rd. East to Bangor and everything East to the borders of the current immediate evacuation orders.
A map of the areas affected can be found by clicking on the link below.
https://sartopo.com/m/bd55
September 8, 2020 at 10:55 PM Bangor and Mount. Ida areas are placed under evacuation orders.
September 8, 2020 at 10:49 PM Fire has passed Camp Okizu. Firefighters that hunkered down in the area are resuming structure protection.
September 8, 2020 at 10:42 PM
September 8, 2020 at 10:36 PM
Today was a critical fire day with extreme fire behavior. The fire jumped the Middle Fork of the Feather River around 10 a.m. A dry cold front passing over the fire with very high winds and low humidities rapidly drove the high-intensity crown fire to the southwest. Firefighters are focusing efforts on structure protection within the evacuated communities and holding current anchor points tonight.
The eastern half of the North Complex Fire experienced active burning within the interior today, but containment lines held.
A Virtual Community Meeting will be held tomorrow, Wednesday September 9 at 5 p.m. The meeting can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/USFSPlumas.
Evacuations and Road Closures
Mandatory evacuation orders of 20,000 residents were issued by Plumas, Butte, and Yuba county sheriffs’ offices. Evacuation shelters have been established. Check the appropriate county’s Facebook Page for their latest information. · Plumas County Sheriff’s Office: https://www.facebook.com/plumascountysheriff · Butte County Sheriff’s Office: https://www.facebook.com/bcsonews · Yuba County Sheriff’s Office: https://www.facebook.com/yubacountysheriff
Temporary evacuation staging areas have been established at:
· Dobbins Alcouffee Center, located at 9185 Marysville Rd, Oregon House, CA
· Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds at 442 Franklin Ave, Yuba City, CA
Evacuation advisories remain in effect for the Bucks Lake area and Quincy LaPorte Road from Highway 70 south to Thompson Creek.
Weather and Air Quality
A Red Flag Warning is in effect through Wednesday at 5 p.m. Critical Fire Weather conditions are occurring due to gusty winds and low humidity. Winds of 10-15 mph with gusts to 35 mph are forecasted over the fire area tonight. For specific smoke impacts to your area, visit www.airnow.gov.
Forest Closures
A USFS order prohibits the use of any ignition (campfires, gas stoves, etc.) and the closure of all developed campgrounds and day-use sites on National Forests in California. No overnight camping of any kind, including dispersed camping, is allowed on the Plumas National Forest except within the wilderness area and alongside the Pacific Crest Trail. An earlier order remains in effect closing all trails, roads, and campgrounds around the North Complex Fire.
September 8, 2020 at 9:53 PM
Additional resources needed immediately to the 1900 block of Canyon Creek Road immediately for evacuations.
September 8, 2020 at 9:33 PM
Extreme fire behavior with crowning, running and torching observed today. The fire crossed the Middle Fork of the Feather River and made a high intensity run to the Southwest. Evacuation Orders issued and Evacuation Warnings remain in place. Threats to Claremont Peak Communication site, private and Federal timberlands, several commercial mining sites, historical sites and Maidu cultural sites, protected and endangered species, Upper Feather River Watershed, Highway 70, and the Union Pacific railroad. Road, area and trail closures in effect. Hand crews from Quebec Canada assigned. Red Flag Warning in effect for gusty winds and low RH until Wednesday. Active large fires in the complex: Claremont/Bear: Unable to report due to 209 issues. California Type 1, Team 4 (Kurth) in command.
September 8, 2020 at 9:12 PM
Spot fires reported Bald Rock Road near Berry Creek.
September 8, 2020 at 9:05 PM
Fire is moving towards Berry Creek and another spot fire reported in Mountainhouse
September 8, 2020 at 8:57 PM
All the power has been shut off in Feather Falls, Forbestown, Clipper Mills etc.
September 8, 2020 at 5:08 PM
Today at approximately 10 a.m., North Complex fire air attack identified a spot fire south of the Middle Fork of the Feather River near Horseshoe Bend. Within an hour the spot fire was estimated to be 1,000 acres. Wind speeds up to 45 mph are carrying the fire quickly to the southwest through tree crowns. At 3 p.m. the spot fire was estimated to be 20,000 acres and moved fifteen miles to the southwest.
September 8, 2020 at 4:43 PM
Yuba County Sheriff Department has issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents in the area of La Porte Road and New York Flat Road, north of Brownsville to the county lines at Butte & Plumas If you live north of this intersection in the County of Yuba, evacuations are mandatory due to the fire currently in Plumas and Butte County, pressing towards Yuba County.This includes the communities of Forbestown, Woodleaf, Clipper Mills, and Strawberry Valley. If you hear our High/Low siren approaching, please evacuate the area immediately. You should proceed southbound to exit the area. Staging areas for evacuated residents are;Ponderosa Community Center 17103 Ponderosa Way, Brownsville ORThe Alcouffe Center 9185 Marysville Road, Oregon House This is a mandatory evacuation order at this time and you should continue to monitor for updated information as it becomes available.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office is upgrading the EVACUATION WARNING for the areas of Feather Falls and Clipper Mills to an IMMEDIATE EVACUATION ORDER and expanding the EVACUATION ORDER to include the communities of Berry Creek, Brush Creek and Forbestown, due to the Bear Fire burning in Plumas County that is moving towards Butte County.
Residents evacuating due to the #NorthComplexFire should take animals along with food, water, and bedding for the animals. A small animal shelter has been established at Old County Hospital located at 2279 Del Oro and Mono Ste E. in Oroville.
September 8, 2020 at 2:17 PM
Due to the Bear Fire burning in Plumas County, BCSO is issuing an EVACUATION WARNING for residents living in the communities of Feather Falls and Clipper Mills.
September 8, 2020 at 2:08 PM
Per Plumas County Sheriff:
For La Porte Area Residents
Temporary evacuation staging areas are being set up by Yuba County OES to assist us at:
- The Dobbins Alcouffee Center, located at 9185 Marysville Rd, Oregon House, CA
- The Ponderosa Community Center, 17103 Ponderosa Way Brownsville, CA
September 8, 2020 at 12:33 PM
Because of increased fire activity, areas southwest of the North Complex around Oroville will see increased smoke which could reach unhealthy to hazardous air quality levels this afternoon through tonight.
September 8, 2020 at 12:12 PM
At approximately 10 am, the North Complex fire spotted over the Middle Fork of the Feather River and is burning south of the river.
The spot was estimated at 1,000 acres at that time.
For evacuation notices, see below and follow Plumas County Sheriff’s Office.
From Plumas County Sheriff: MANDATORY Evacuation notice!!!!
The town of La Porte
and
Little Grass Valley Reservoir: All residents, campgrounds, and recreational facilities off Little Grass Valley Road west of Quincy La Porte Road. (This includes Silver Tip Springs, Beach Drive, Onion Cir, Fiddleneck Rd, and all other roads connecting and in that area around the reservoir).
and
Quincy La Porte Road from Onion Valley to the County Line.
also
Quincy La Porte Road is CLOSED!
You should leave the area immediately!! Evacuate south on Quincy La Porte Road toward Yuba County.
Emergency responders are en route to issue door to door notifications!
September 7, 2020 at 12:06 PM
Night crews secured and mopped up previous firing operations and made great progress on containing previous slopovers and spot fires on the northwest flank. In addition, they detected and addressed a new spot fire near the 40-acre spot which was contained yesterday.
Crews on the ground and using infrared drone cameras continue to monitor the south side of the fire where it is slowly backing down through the fire scar from the 1999 Pigeon Fire. Initial Attack crews are staged to respond to any new fires in the area while also monitoring the recently contained Iron and Copper Fires.
The entire east side of the fire near Highway 70 and Quincy remains securely in its current footprint. Smoke will continue to be visible as fuels burn in the interior of the fire.
Weather and Air Quality
Hot, smoky conditions with highs in the 90’s are predicted for today. A dry cold front is expected tonight with a Red Flag Warning in place Monday night into Wednesday morning.
September 6, 2020 at 8:31 PM
Today was a successful day fighting the North Complex Fire, with fire behavior moderated by the efforts of fire crews plus smoke hanging over the area. Crews patrolled and mopped up the east side of the fire. Crews on the north side had a productive day with dozers, handline, and hose lays placed around yesterday’s spot fires. Night shift will reinforce that area. Line was constructed in the Lookout Rock area to prepare for future firing if weather conditions allow.
The south edge of the fire is backing slowly toward the Middle Fork of the Feather River but has not yet reached the river. Crews are positioned to respond to any elevated activity on the south edge of the fire. Contingency lines using existing roads and trails south of the fire are being constructed at a rate of approximately 2 miles per day.
Weather and Air Quality
The unseasonable hot and dry weather pattern will continue into Monday followed by a dry cold front expected Monday night into Tuesday. This front will result in Red Flag conditions Monday night through Wednesday. Smoke will continue to be generated locally as well as higher layers from afar. For specific smoke impacts to your area, visit www.airnow.gov.
September 6, 2020 at 10:49 AM
The North Complex Fire was active last night, but no long-range spotting occurred as forecasted.
Night crews were kept busy working on spot fires on the north side of the fire between Bottle Springs and Lookout Rocks, after yesterday’s warm temperatures and afternoon sunshine increased fire activity. Crews will continue to address the spots today. Fire activity in the interior will contribute to smoky conditions.Additional crews will be on the south side of the fire today where it is backing down toward the Middle Fork of the Feather River. Fire has not crossed the river, but three crews are in place to monitor movement and respond where needed. Road systems south of the fire can also help with firefighting efforts if the fire moves in that direction.
Weather and Air Quality Hot and dry conditions are forecasted to continue through Monday. Today’s highs are predicted to reach 99 degrees in the valleys with a minimum relative humidity of 10-15%. The Quincy area is experiencing smoke both from the North Complex Fire and more distant Southern California fires. For specific smoke impacts to your area, visit www.airnow.gov.
Evacuations and Road Closures Evacuation Advisories were lifted by the Plumas County Sheriff yesterday for the communities of Greenhorn, Sloat and Cromberg. Advisories are still in place for Bucks Lake area, and Quincy LaPorte Road from Highway 70 south to Red Bridge. See the Plumas County’s website for an interactive map: plumascounty.us/2721/North-Complex-Fire-Information.Quincy LaPorte Road from Highway 70 south to Red Bridge is open to essential traffic only. The dirt portion of Peppard Flat Road is closed.
Forest Closures Plumas NF: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumasp/alerts-notices Lassen NF: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/lassen/alerts-notices
All trails, roads and campgrounds within the forest closure areas are closed.
September 5, 2020 at 8:15 PM
The Sheep Fire is no longer a part of the North Complex, however firefighters are continuing to identify and extinguish hot spots and mop up. Currently, it is at 29,570 acres and 86% containment.
Current Situation
The North Complex Fire grew by approximately 900 acres Saturday, due to an inversion that lifted this afternoon increasing fire behavior. Smoke from interior pockets of the fire increased as the fire made an eastern run from Grizzly Creek in between the Bear and Claremont Fires toward the Claremont Fire. Some long-range spotting occurred, and crews are monitoring and patrolling.
Firefighters made good progress holding the fire within containment lines from the Middle Fork of the Feather River to the eastern flank of the fire. On the south side, containment line is holding well as crews continue mopping up. An infrared flight today revealed little heat along the southwestern edge of the fire.
On the northwestern side around Lookout Rock, fire behavior was calm enough for firefighters to directly engage with the flames. The fire is also holding well along Willow Creek as the fire moves toward constructed bulldozer lines.
Adverse winds prevented firefighters from conducting strategic firing operations between the edges of the Bear and Claremont fires, but are hopeful to continue tonight when the more favorable down canyon winds arrive.
September 3, 2020 at 8:54 AM
California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 will be transitioning command of the North Complex to CIIMT 4 at 6 p.m.
Both the Bear and Claremont fires saw significant growth and smoke production Wednesday and smoked in surrounding communities for most of the day. With little change in the weather pattern, intense smoky conditions will persist for communities in the area.
Firefighters worked to contain a substantial slop over on the Claremont Fire. Tuesday’s east winds pushed the fire out of Claremont Creek drainage and uphill toward Claremont Chrome Road and Cattle Spring Mine. Resources worked throughout the night to gain containment on the slop and mop up where possible. A large workforce will reinforce those efforts today. Elsewhere around the perimeter, crews successfully kept the fire north of Forest Road 23N10 and the Middle Fork of the Feather River and mopped up areas of lingering heat.
The Bear Fire pushed north into the Fourth Creek drainage and east toward Pigeon Roost Creek with Wednesday’s westerly winds. Both of those areas have indirect dozer line ahead of the fire and are not in populated locations. Crews continue to work on structure protection measures in Haskins Valley, Bucks Lake and Highlands communities to the northwest of the Bear Fire. As the Bear Fire continues its eastern progression, firefighters are looking for opportunities to conduct strategic firing operations along dozer lines to connect the east flank of the Bear Fire to the west flank of the Claremont Fire.
Weather: Today’s winds are forecast to be out of the north and east and will test uncontained fireline along the Feather River. Upcoming temperatures are expected to be very hot and an excessive heat watch has been issued by the National Weather Service.
Closures/Evacuation: Plumas County – Quincy La Porte Road between Thompson Creek and Red Bridge; Greenhorn; Spring Garden; and Highway 70 from Massack Rest Area to Spring Garden are in advisory status and residents have been allowed to return to their homes.
September 2, 2020 at 9:13 AM
On Tuesday, residents of the following locations were allowed home: Quincy La Porte Road between Thompson Creek and Red Bridge; Greenhorn; Spring Garden; and Highway 70 from Massack Rest Area to Spring Garden. These areas remain under advisory evacuation orders.
The Claremont and Bear fires saw moderate growth Wednesday as east winds aligned with the Middle Fork of the Feather River and drove the fires to the west.
The Claremont Fire rose up out of Claremont Creek drainage and pushed west, slopping over dozer lines and throwing spot fires more than a quarter mile ahead of the flaming front. Firefighters were quick to react and attacked the fire with hand crews, heavy equipment, helicopters and air tankers. The fire crossed Claremont Trail and moved to the Claremont Chrome Road.
Crews remained engaged on the new growth throughout the night and will be reinforced as day shift personnel return. Other areas of the fire were relatively calm, and the fire is holding along well on the southern edge at the Middle Fork of the Feather River.
The Bear Fire pushed a little west and a little north but remains within the Willow Creek drainage to the west and is holding in the Fourth Creek drainage to the north. Crews remain focused on building indirect lines to protect communities to the north and northwest while scouting for opportunities to go direct.
Weather: East winds will give way to light, terrain-driven winds in a general south and southwest flow. Increased temperatures and low humidity will contribute to the cumulative drying trend and persistent chance for increased fire activity.
Air Quality: Southwest winds will return this afternoon, bringing widespread light to moderate smoke back to the area. Smoke will settle into valleys at night and dissipate Thursday morning. Quincy likely will see heavy smoke at times later today. The Oroville area will continue to see light smoke at night as smoke travels down the Middle Fork Feather River valley. Continued SW winds tomorrow may bring in additional smoke from other fires west of the Central Valley.
September 1, 2020 at 1:35 PM
The mandatory evacuation order for Quincy La Porte Road between Thompson Creek and Red Bridge is MODIFIED to ADVISORY STATUS.
Residents ONLY may return to their homes.
Please remember the fire is still active within the burned area and you may see spots of smoke.
Fire personnel will still be actively working the interior and edges of the fire. Expect to see hotspots for some time.
The Claremont and Bear fires continue with dense smoke in the morning until the inversion lifts around noon. Winds from the North will test uncontained fire line along the Feather River. A forecasted change toward a very hot (potentially record breaking) stagnant and dry weather pattern begins Wednesday lasting into at least this weekend.
The Bear Fire saw clean air and an uptick in fire activity Monday. Firefighters were able to utilize air resources to proactively attack the western edge near Hose Mine. Helicopters dropped 15,000 gallons of retardant in the area in an effort to prevent future spread deeper into the Willow Creek drainage. The fire also pushed toward Lookout Rock and crossed the Pacific Crest Trail.
Today, crews will strengthen line and utilize the interior road system to build indirect lines as well as seek out opportunities to go more direct along the fire’s edge. Structure protection units are in place throughout the area west and northwest of the fire including the Highlands community, Bucks Lake, Haskins Valley, and other significant structural assets.
The top priority for the Claremont Fire will be to hold the fire in its current footprint and catch any potential spot fires as a wind shift will test containment lines today. One area of focus will be the southeast edge between Spring Garden Road and Peoria Creek. Crews have worked to line and install hose lays around spot fires in that area for several days. To the west, the portion of the fire’s edge between Bray Creek to Quincy-La Porte Road will be patrolled and mopped up as crews were able to secure the line through strategic firing operations Monday and into the night last night.
With the western movement of the Claremont Fire, tactical firing operations might be used in conjunction with ground and aviation resources to help control the fire. Firing operations are used to increase the width of fire lines and build a bigger “catcher’s mitt” to stop the fire’s progress when and where it is safe to do so.
August 29, 2020 at 10:25 AM
SheepFire – 29,517 acres & 38% contained
ClaremontFire – 21,244 acres & 59% contained
BearFire – 6,578 acres & 0% contained
IronFire – 50 acres & 100% contained
Other Fires – 90 acres & 100% contained
The Bear Fire showed significant activity yesterday afternoon and late into the evening as winds and conditions aligned to help it spread east across Deadman Spring Trail and west along the Middle Fork of the Feather River toward Hartman Bar Trail. Firefighters still are working on indirect line northwest of the fire to protect the Haskins Valley and Buck Lake areas while looking for opportunities to build line directly against the fire’s edge.
The south and southeast edges of the Claremont Fire remained active yesterday and continue to be the top priority on the fire today. Along the Highway 70 corridor, firefighters are implementing strategic firing operations where safe to do so to bring the fire down to the road and build a secure perimeter to protect the communities of Greenhorn, Sloat and other values to the east.
Closures/Evacuation: Plumas County – The following areas were removed from advisory status Friday:
• East Quincy, south of Lee Road from Radio Hill Road east. (To include East Quincy, south of Highway 70 between Millcreek (to include Mill Creek Road and Forest View Drive) extending east to Quincy LaPorte Road.
• Chandler Road (east end), from Highway 70 east to Carol Lane East.
Modified: Evacuation advisory for Quincy LaPorte Road from Quincy LaPorte Road & Highway 70 to Massack has been modified to an advisory for Highway 70 at Chandler Road, east to the west side of the Massack Rest Area. All other evacuations and closures remain the same and can be found at https://plumascounty.us/2721/North-Complex-Fire-Information
Lassen County – The following Evacuation Orders have been downgraded to Evacuation Warnings: Baxter Creek Road. Wingfield Road at Baxter Creek Road to where the pavement begins at Peter Lassen’s Grave (open to residents only as there is still heavy fire equipment movement). All other evacuations and closures remain the same.
August 28, 2020 at 9:14 AM
SheepFire – 29,410 acres & 30% contained
ClaremontFire – 21,244 acres & 46% contained
BearFire – 6,578 acres & 0% contained
IronFire – 50 acres & 100% contained
Other Fires – 90 acres & 100% contained
Even though the North Complex saw growth on these fires, crews were able to take advantage of mild fire behavior to build and strengthen containment lines on the fire yesterday. Focus is turning to the Bear Fire as the Claremont and Sheep fires continue to gain containment.
Smoke
NE winds yesterday evening pushed smoke S/SW overnight. E winds are expected through the afternoon continuing to move smoke to the west and south. Smoke from the North Complex that settled over the area last night is forecast to dissipate this afternoon but may return to the region again this evening. Impacts are again seen closet to the fire. Quincy and Susanville continue to be hardest hit. The Reno/Tahoe area can continue to expect decreased levels of air quality as smoke lingers in the area. Similar fire activity from yesterday is expected to pick up again in the afternoon.
As other fires in the North Complex increase in containment, focus on the Bear Fire will ramp up and additional resources are being assigned to that fire. Priority has shifted to completing firelines to keep the fire out of the Willow Creek drainage and protect the Haskins Valley and Bucks Lake areas. Crews are nearing completion on dozer line along the western edge of the Claremont Fire and have hose lays in place near Claremont Trail, but the priority sections remain to the east. Crews continue to construct fireline, improve existing lines and mop up today, in addition to improving roads to contain the southern, western and northern sections of the Sheep Fire. Fire activity yesterday was mild as compared to previous days, despite isolated thunderstorms.
Weather: Generally east winds move in to the area today and will provide relief from the smoke for portions of the communities effected by the North Complex. There is a possibility of thunderstorms throughout the fire areas but the chance is minimal. As the temperature increases and humidity decreases throughout the day, fire behavior and smoke production will increase into the afternoon.
Air Quality: East winds are expected through the afternoon continuing to move smoke to the west and south. Smoke from the North Complex that settled over the area last night is forecast to dissipate this afternoon but might return to the region again this evening. Impacts are again seen closet to the fire. Quincy and Susanville continue to be hardest hit. The Reno/Tahoe area can continue to expect decreased levels of air quality as smoke lingers in the area.
Closures/Evacuations: This morning, the Mandatory Evacuation Orders for Dirt Wingfield Road to Baxter Creek Road but not including Baxter Creek Road, and Elysian Valley Road, Indians Road, and all connecting roads were downgraded to an Evacuation Warning.
Quincy La Porte Road from Highway 70 to Thompson Creek Road is open to residents only. Quincy La Porte Road from Highway 70 to Red Bridge and Peppard Flat Road (dirt portion) remain closed. The Pacific Crest Trail from Onion Valley to Bucks Summit remains closed as does Thompson Creek Road (Forest Road 24N26) and Red Bridge Campground.
Mandatory Evacuations are in place for the following locations according to the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office: Quincy Laporte Road from Thompson Creek south to Red Bridge (Middle fork of the Feather River.); Highway 70: From Massack to Spring Garden; Spring Garden Community; Greenhorn Ranch Community.
Evacuation Advisories are in effect for the following: Bucks Lake Big Creek Road from the Mount Ararat Road to Bucklin Road (to include Countryman Drive and Grizzly Loop) and Bucks Lake Road south of the Old Transfer Station Rd (Timberline Lodge) extending to the area of the On Top Mine to include the Bucks Highlands area; Quincy Laporte Road from Highway 70 south to Thompson Creek; Quincy Laporte Road from Highway to Massack; East Quincy, south of Lee Road from Radio Hill Road east. (to include East Quincy, south of Highway 70 between Mill Creek (to include mill Creek Road and Forest View Drive) extending east to Quincy Laporte Road; Chandler Road (east end) from Highway 70 east to Carol Lane East; Sloat Community; Cromberg Community.
An evacuation center remains in place for Susanville at the Lassen Community College Dormitories. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds. For immediate text notifications about emergency alerts, residents can sign up for the Plumas and Lassen County’s CodeRed Emergency Alert System from their respective websites: Plumas—https://www.plumascounty.us/; Lassen —http://www.lassencounty.org/dept/sheriffs-office/sheriffs-office
August 28, 2020 at 8:21 AM
It will be mostly sunny today with mild temperatures and modest relative humidities. Winds will be terrain driven until early to mid-afternoon, and then will become generally southwest once again. It’s likely to become hotter and drier Thursday into the weekend with temperatures jumping 10 degrees for highs. Dry conditions will lead to bigger diurnal temperature ranges later this week into the weekend. Southeast flow Friday will bring a slight chance of slow moving thunderstorms. Otherwise, hot and dry will be the theme this weekend into early next week.
August 25, 2020 at 10:18 AM
More activity yesterday brought the North Complex to 48,235 acres. Although less aggressive than previous days, the Sheep Fire remains active at 27,411 acres. The Claremont Fire, currently at 17,906 acres has been burning on the south side of the Feather Drainage and continues to move in a N/NE direction. The Bear Fire, at 2,778 acres also remains active burning in all directions. More activity is expected as the fires continue a pattern of heating up in the afternoon and becoming more active later in the day.
Light precipitation and higher relative humidities will give crews a head start today as they continue to build or strengthen dozer and hand line on the Sheep, Claremont, and Bear Fires. Smoke columns could develop this afternoon on the fires, which will lead to erratic, gusty winds challenging crews efforts. To date, the Sheep Fire has destroyed 8 residences and damaged 1 residence. The greatest area of concern for the Claremont Fire is the southeast section about ½ mile west of Hwy 70 and threatening the communities of Cromberg and Sloat. Hwy 70 remains closed but is open by escort provided by California Highway Patrol. The Bear Fire continued to grow overnight with aggressive fire behavior on the west side up Bear Creek. Of the original 21 fires in the complex, 16 are 100% contained, and others have been encompassed by the remaining larger fires. All smaller contained fires are continuing to be monitored. Those fires ranged in size from .1 acres to 8 acres.
Smoke
Heaviest impacts will again be to the areas closest to the fires, namely Quincy, who saw Hazardous and Very Unhealthy levels yesterday and Susanville whose air quality improved morning into noon before degrading again as we moved into the evening. Similar fire/smoke patterns are expected today. Lingering smoke may be dense at times in the valleys but thinning is expected especially south of fires. Reno to Carson City, Truckee, and Tahoe City can also expect conditions similar to yesterday where air quality levels are mainly Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. As fires become more active later in the day, areas will see heavier impacts in the evening into overnight as smoke settles into valleys and local drainages.
August 24, 2020 at 8:38 PM
Current Situation on the Claremont: Tempered weather today allowed crews to go on the offensive and attack the fire and build line in place of constant structure protection as in previous days. The fire does remain active near Hwy 70 as well as south of the Feather River. The spots that crossed over Hwy 70 had a hand crew working to build line. Crews will continue to defend lines near structures overnight to further stabilize the area. Union Pacific (UP) moved a Fire Train into the area to assist with fire suppression along the railroad tracks adjacent to Hwy 70. The UP locomotive has a water tank car attached with a pump on top that supplies hoses, nozzles, and deck guns to help extinguish fires and hot spots on or along the railroad tracks.
The California Highway Patrol escorted groups of cars today on SR-70 through the burned over area. The area is still considered a closed zone and should be avoided if possible. The highway can close again at anytime in the event the area is not safe to travel.
The Claremont Fire, now at 17,906 acres, is located south of Quincy, CA and north of the Middle Fork of the Feather River.
Current Situation on the Bear: The Bear Fire remains active in all directions. Additional crews were added to support containment. The Bear Fire, now at 2,778 acres is located on the Pacific Crest Trail, 1-mile northwest of Butte Bar Campground and 1.5 southeast of Lookout Rock.
Current Situation on the Sheep: Crews worked throughout the day constructing and strengthening dozer line on the east and west flanks of the fire. On the east flank, crews worked to extend the fire line to Diamond Mountain Motorway. From this point they will continue to build fire line up to the escarpment to the top of Diamond Mountain. On the west flank, line was constructed in the Cheney Creek drainage and into the old Willard Fire burn scar, west of Susanville. Smoke cleared enough today for fixed wing aircraft to drop retardant at the upper end of the east flank near the motorway to support ground crew’s efforts. Cooler temperatures and higher relative humidities aided crews in their work, but thunderstorms in the forecast and unpredictable winds remain a concern. This evening, crews will continue to secure and strengthen both flanks of the fire while providing structure protection. Dry fuels, steep terrain and strong winds continue to challenge firefighting efforts.
Evacuations: The following areas have been downgraded to an Evacuation Warning only:
• The south side of Johnstonville Road from the Intersection at Hwy 36 and Hwy 395 North to Airport Road
• The Diane Drive Subdivision
• Richmond Road from Hwy 395 to Circle Drive including Circle Drive and all roads accessed by Circle Drive
• Wingfield Road to Old Archery Road but not including Old Archery Road
The following Mandatory Evacuation Orders are still in effect for the following areas: Gem Drive, Pearl Circle, and all roads accessed by those roads. Lassen Community College Dormitories remains an evacuation center for local residences. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds. For the latest evacuation information, visit the Lassen County Sheriff’s Facebook page – facebook.com/LassenSheriff
Road Closures: All of Gold Run Road is closed. Wingfield Road is closed from just beyond Four Oaks Drive to Janesville. Richmond Road is closed from just past Circle Drive to Hospital Lane.
August 23, 2020 at 9:34 PM
Current Situation on the Claremont: The Claremont Fire made sweeping movement today and crossed the Middle Fork of the Feather River moving eastward towards Spring Garden. As a result, mandatory evacuation orders were issued for Spring Garden and Greenhorn Ranch. Several helicopters assisted with overhead water drops to try and cool the flames while crews worked to knock down spot fires. Crews will continue to work overnight protecting structures and pushing the fire back if weather cooperates. The Claremont Fire, now at 15,656 acres and 2% contained, is located south of Quincy, CA and north of the Middle Fork of the Feather River.
Current Situation on the Bear: The Bear Fire made a large advancement on the north side of the fire today to the northwest along both sides of Bear Creek. The south side of the fire advanced towards Middle Fork at Carpenter Bar, but stayed east of Carpenter Creek. The Bear Fire is located on the Pacific Crest Trail, 1-mile northwest of Butte Bar Campground and 1.5 southeast of Lookout Rock.
Weather: There remains a RED FLAG WARNING FOR DRY THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MONDAY EVENING. Lightning from dry thunderstorms will have the potential to start new fires.
All three large fires in the North Complex – Sheep, Claremont, and Bear Fires – experienced pyrocumulus development today leading to vertical smoke columns and significant fire advancement as a result of Red Flag conditions. The Sheep made a strong push to the east towards Hwy 395 in the Wingfield Road area. The Claremont Fire crossed the Middle Fork of the Feather River and aggressively moved eastward. The Bear Fire grew to 1,661 acres. More details of these fires are covered in separate updates.
Of the original 21 fires in the complex, 16 are now 100% contained. The Willard and Fleming burned together with the Sheep. The Iron Fire south of Taylorsville (50 acres) and the Copper Fire (65 acres) north of Greenville are now 100% contained. Crews continue to mop up and reinforce the containment lines on those fires. The Neer, Kessler, Anna, Monitor, Monitor 2, Monitor 3, Paxton, Branch, Little, Loop B, Davis, Davis 2, Evans, and Meyers Fires are all 100% contained and in patrol status. Those fires ranged in size from .1 acres to 8 acres.
August 23, 2020 at 9:04 PM
Effective 8:30 pm Sunday, August 23rd, 2020, the following area has been downgraded to an Evacuation Warning only:
• The south side of Johnstonville Road from the Intersection at Hwy 36 and Hwy 395 North to Airport Road.
The following are instructions for residents returning to their home:
1. Residents should be aware that changing conditions in fire activity may cause this area to escalate back to a mandatory evacuation order at any time. If you have evacuated large animals and vehicles, please keep them out of the area.
2. Residents who choose to return to their homes will only be allowed to access their residence from Richmond Road East. Residents who try to pass through the traffic control point at Richmond Road and Gem Drive will be turned around.
3. The traffic control point located at Richmond Road and Deforest Drive will be moved to just west of Richmond Road and Circle Drive.
4. You will be asked to show proof of residence at the traffic control point located at Richmond Road and Deforest Drive.
5. Please use caution, reduce your speed, drive with your headlights on and yield to emergency personnel.
The following Mandatory Evacuation Orders are still in effect for the following areas:
• Gem Drive, Pearl Circle, and all roads accessed by those roads.
• Susan Hills area from Gold Run Road to Bauer Road and including Bauer Road.
• Cheney Creek Road and all roads accessed by Cheney Creek Road.
• Both sides of Gold Run Road and all roads accessed by Gold Run.
• Amesbury Drive beginning at Gold Run Road and encompassing all roads south including Jura Road, Juro Road, Hill Creek Road and Morningstar Road.
• Everything south of Richmond Road to Highway 395 and all roads in between
• Everything west of Elysian Valley Road and Wingfield Road including all connecting roads.
• Wingfield Road west to Bass Hill Road and all connecting roads in between including Wingfield Road east all the way to Main Street Janesville are now under Mandatory Evacuation Order.
• The south side of Johnstonville Road from the Intersection at Hwy 36 and Hwy 395 North to Airport Road
• Cable Line Road and all roads accessed by Cable Line
An Evacuation Warning has been issued for the following areas:
• West of Richmond Road Beginning at Hospital Lane extending to Mill Street.
• Highway 36 from Harris Drive west to Devil’s Corral and all road accessed by Highway 36.
• County Road A-1 to Lake Forest Estates and all roads accessed by A-1 to that point.
• Sunnyside Road from Hwy 395 to County Road A-3.
• Everything West of Highway 395 from Richmond Road to Janesville Grade and all roads in between. Main Street Janesville from Highway 395 to Janesville Grade and all roads accessed by Main Street Janesville.
• Main Street Janesville from Highway 395 to Janesville Grade and all roads accessed by Main Street Janesville.
• Highway 395 North to Leavitt Lake including all subdivisions.
• The north side of Richmond Road from Gold Run Road to Singletree Lane including Singletree Lane.
Road Closures:
• All of Gold Run Road is closed• Richmond Road is closed from Hwy 395 to Hospital Lane.
• Wingfield Road
• Highway 395 is closed at the intersection of Hwy 36 by Susanville Ford. The alternate route is County Road A-3 to Hwy 395 North.
People need to leave immediately. Please use caution, drive with your headlights on and yield to emergency personnel. Residents needing assistance evacuating are asked to call the dispatch center at (530)257-6121. If you need shelter, go to the Lassen Community College Dormitories. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds. Go to the Fair office on Russell Drive first before 5pm. After 5pm, call the Emergency Shelter Line at (530)250-9088. Liability, feed, and care of large animals is the sole responsibility of the animal’s owner. Deputies will be going door to door to make notification.Follow Lassen County Sheriff’s Office for Evacuation Updates.
23, 2020 at 1:20 PM
Current Situation on the Claremont: The Claremont Fire remained active all night moving along Highway 70. The fire crossed the highway yesterday near the Massack Rest Area, and the highway remains CLOSED between Spring Garden and La Porte Road for the safety of residents and visitors as well as allowing efficient access for fire crews to battle the blaze. No structures were reported lost, but homes are threatened along that closed stretch of Highway 70 as well as in the Greenhorn subdivision. The Claremont Fire, now at 11,310 acres and 0% contained, is located south of Quincy, CA and north of the Middle Fork of the Feather River.
Current Situation on the Bear:
The Bear Fire advanced to the north and northeast yesterday afternoon growing to 1,078 acres. Limited resources and difficult terrain make this a challenging fire to attack, but crews have good roads to work from and are working to keep the fire up on the flats to keep it from spreading east and west. The Bear Fire is located on the Pacific Crest Trail, 1-mile northwest of Butte Bar Campground and 1.5 southeast of Lookout Rock.
Weather: RED FLAG WARNING FOR DRY THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MONDAY EVENING. There is increasing potential for isolated to scattered dry thunderstorms over much of Northern California. Lightning from dry thunderstorms will have the potential to start new fires.
Evacuations: There are no additional evacuation orders or warnings as of 8 a.m. Quincy High School remains an Evacuation Center for local residences. No small animals are able to be accommodated at the high school. The Red Cross is currently working to establish a secondary evacuation center.
An ADVISORY Evacuation Order remains in effect for East Quincy (south of Lee Road from Radio Hill Road East), Candler Road (from HWY 70 east entrance to Hillside Drive), Greenhorn Ranch, and Spring Garden.
Mandatory evacuations remains in effect for East Quincy, south of Highway 70 between Millcreek east to La Porte Road, as well as La Porte Road from Highway 70 south to Red Bridge (Middle Fork of the Feather River)
Road Closure: Highway 70 remains CLOSED between Spring Garden and Quincy La Porte Road. La Porte Road and Thompson Creek Road remain closed. Union Pacific Railroad also has a closure affected by the fire. The Pacific Crest Trail from Onion Valley to Bucks Summit remains closed. For further information on closures go to: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumas/alerts-notices
August 22, 2020 at 10:34 AM
The North Complex consists of multiple lightning caused fires on the Plumas and Lassen National Forests. Last night the Sheep, Claremont, and Bear fires all were very active. Additional ground and air resources were requested to slow the spread and protect lives and homes. Expanded mandatory evacuations were issued by the Lassen County Sheriff Offices. Of the 21 fires in the complex, 10 are now 100% contained. The Iron Fire south of Taylorsville has fireline completely around it and is 50% contained. Crews will spend the night on the line to prevent further spread.
Sheep Fire: 11,000 acres. Today, fire managers plan to take advantage of favorable morning weather conditions to minimize fire spread to the east and west; focusing on the areas of Wingfield Road, Gold Run and Hidden Hills. Dry fuels north of the fire remain susceptible to ignition. Last night firefighters stayed at the fire, fire behavior moderated, and crews were successful establishing new dozer line. As of today, no additional structure loss has been reported.
Claremont and Bear fires: 6,392 acres.
Current Situation on the Claremont: The Claremont Fire, located south of Quincy, CA and north of the Middle Fork of the Feather River, continues to spread east towards the Highway 70 corridor, but fire crews worked through the night last night to hold the fire to the west side of the highway. Active structure protection took place last night in East Quincy, where 30 engines and other heavy equipment worked to slow spread and limit structure loss. Firefighting objectives for crews today are to keep the fire from crossing the Highway 70 corridor. The team is working to secure additional resources from other contained fires in the region.
Current Situation on the Bear: The Bear Fire, burning approximately 4 miles from Bucks Lake and 6 miles from Meadow Valley, experienced increased fire behavior and grew in all directions yesterday, further establishing itself in the Bear Creek Drainage, north of the Middle Fork. The Bear is located on the Pacific Crest Trail, 1 mile northwest of Butte Bar Campground and 1.5 southeast of Lookout Rock. It is in very steep and inaccessible terrain. The increase in smoke in the area yesterday was a result of the Bear.
August 21, 2020 at 9:49 PM
Today, the Sheep, Claremont, and Bear fires all were very active. Additional ground and air resources were requested to slow the spread and protect lives and homes. Additional Mandatory Evacuations and Evacuation Warnings were declared by the Plumas and Lassen County Sheriff Offices. Of the 21 fires in the complex, 10 are now 100% contained.
Sheep Fire: Expanded evacuation orders and warnings were enacted due to extreme fire behavior. Strong winds pushed the fire toward Peter Lassen’s Grave and the upper Cherry Creek and Gold Run drainage, moving toward Susan Hills. Crews will work through the night to protect structures and hold firelines. A Very Large Airtanker (VLAT) DC-10 was in the area to assist but heavy smoke hindered efforts to utilize this and other aerial resources. Engines, bulldozers, crews and two helicopters were available to assist. Weather: The Sheep Fire is expected to remain active this evening until the early morning hours. Lows are expected to range between 44 and 61 degrees. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable.
Erratic fire behavior was seen on the Bear Fire today and the fire has grown in all directions. It is established in the Bear Creek drainage, north of the Middle Fork. Due to the dense smoke layer within the steep, incised Middle Fork canyon, it is impossible to assess the extent of the fire. The heavier smoke plume visible west of Quincy this afternoon is due to the Bear Fire.
Weather: Lows tonight are expected to range between 44 and 61 degrees. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph, becoming light and variable.
Air Quality: Widespread smoke before 11 pm and widespread haze thereafter.Smoke will be thick in valleys and canyons immediately north and east of the fires. For a fire and smoke map, go to https://fire.airnow.gov/
Closures/Evacuations:
Due to the Claremont Fire there is an ADVISORY Evacuation Order for Greenhorn Ranch, Massack, and Spring Garden, as well as Hwy 70 between La Porte Road/Chandler Road to Spring Garden/Greenhorn.
The MANDATORY evacuation for East Quincy remains in effect. This includes all residents in the East Quincy area south of Highway 70, east of Mill Creek (to include Mill Creek Road and Forest View) extending east and including Quincy – La Porte Road.
An evacuation center for all resients (East Quincy, Greenhorn, Massack and Spring Garden) has been set up at Quincy High School. No small animals are able to be accommodated at the High School. The Red Cross is currently working to assist us in establishing a secondary evacuation center.
La Porte Road and Thompson Creek Road remain closed. The Pacific Crest Trail from Onion Valley to Bucks Summit remains closed.
August 21, 2020 at 10:26 AM
The North Complex consists of several fires including the Sheep, Claremont, Bear and other fires located on the Plumas and Lassen National Forests. Each fire was caused by a lightning storm that swept through the area on the morning of August 17. The team currently consists of 163 personnel, 20 engines, 2 hand crews, and 3 helicopters. Air tankers from the region are also assisting.
Crews working on the the Iron Fire took advantage of the favorable weather yesterday and last night to lay hose line around a majority of the perimeter holding the fire to 175 acres. This allowed them to hold the line already developed by cooling it down and treating any flare-ups and spot fires, as well as allow them to push the fire back to establish containment and mop-up. This fire is located southwest of Taylorsville north of Emigrant Pass and west of China Grade Road.
An evacuation advisory notice remains in effect for the community of Taylorsville extending west on Arlington Road to Johnson Ranch Road and 3 miles south on Genesee Road from the intersection of Arlington Road and North Valley Road. For immediate text notifications about emergency alerts, residents can sign up for the Plumas County’s CodeRed Emergency Alert System on their website at https://www.plumascounty.us/587/Sheriff-Coroner. Evacuation questions should be directed to the your County Sheriff’s office non-emergency number Plumas County Sheriff’s Office: (530) 283-6375
Evacuation shelter for the Claremont Fire is located at the Quincy High School in Plumas County. No small animals are able to be accommodated at the High School. The Red Cross is currently working to assist in establishing a secondary evacuation center.
Evacuation shelter for the Sheep Fire is located at the Lassen Community College Dormitories. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds.
Weather: Dry conditions are expected to continue over the region today with gusty winds possible this afternoon into early evening. Humidity is expected to start picking up along with cooler temperatures providing some relief. Smoke and widespread air quality impacts from the wildfires remains the primary weather concern into Saturday. Thunderstorm chances return to the eastern Sierra and western Nevada by Sunday and continue into early next week. For more information about the air quality in your area please visit https://gispub.epa.gov/airnow/ Links to
August 20, 2020 at 9:32 PM
The North Complex consists of several fires managed under the direction of the California Incident Management Team 1. This includes the Sheep, Claremont, Bear and other fires located on the Mt. Hough Ranger District on the Plumas National Forest. Each fire was caused by a lightning storm that swept through the area on the morning of August 17. The team currently consists of 163 personnel, 20 engines, 2 hand crews, and 3 helicopters. Air tankers from the region were also assisting.
The Iron Fire, located southwest of Taylorsville north of Emigrant Pass and west of China Grade Road grew to about 175 acres. Crews worked to build dozer and hand line today. Due to the Iron Fire on Mount Hough, an evacuation advisory notice was issued for the community of Taylorsville extending west on Arlington Road to Johnson Ranch Road and 3 miles south on Genesee Road from the intersection of Arlington Road and North Valley Road. For immediate text notifications about emergency alerts, residents can sign up for the Plumas County’s CodeRed Emergency Alert System on their website at https://www.plumascounty.us/587/Sheriff-Coroner.
Evacuation questions should be directed to the your County Sheriff’s office non-emergency number Plumas County Sheriff’s Office: (530) 283-6375 Crews will continue to be active overnight protecting structures, building line, and treating spot fires.
Weather: The Red Flag Warning expired at 9 a.m. today. Smoke and widespread air quality impacts from the California wildfires remains the primary weather concern into Saturday. Thunderstorm chances return to the eastern Sierra and western Nevada by Sunday and continue into early next week. For more information about the air quality in your area please visit https://gispub.epa.gov/airnow/
August 20, 2020 at 9:44 AM
The California Incident Management Team 1 accepted management of the North Complex at 6 a.m., Thursday, August 20, 2020. The complex includes the Sheep, Claremont, Bear (41 acres) and other fires located on the Mt. Hough Ranger District on the Plumas National Forest. Each fire was caused by a lightning storm that swept through the area on the morning of August 17. Several other smaller fires ignited by that storm were contained and mop-up continues. Ensuring the safety of emergency responders and the public is a primary objective of the team as it works to contain the wildfires within the complex.
The Plumas and Lassen County Sheriff’s Office, in consultation with its USFS partners, are continually evaluating the need for MANDATORY and ADVISORY evacuations. Mandatory evacuations and advisory notices were issued yesterday out of an abundance of caution for the safety of residents potentially in line of the spreading fires.
A MANDATORY evacuation order was issued for Quincy La Porte Road between Thompson Creek (6 miles south of Highway 70) to Red Bridge (8 miles south of Highway 70). Local deputies assisted residents with evacuations. Quincy La Porte Road is closed at the intersection with Highway 70 to non-essential traffic. Residents along Quincy La Porte Road between Thompson Creek and Highway 70 were also advised to evacuate to a safe location.
For immediate text notifications about emergency alerts, residents can sign up for the Plumas and Lassen County’s CodeRed Emergency Alert System. Evacuation questions should be directed to the your County Sheriff’s office non-emergency number Plumas County Sheriff’s Office: (530) 283-6375; Lassen County Sheriff’s Office: (530) 257-6121
Weather: Smoke and wind remain the primary weather concerns for today with widespread air quality issues and fire weather concerns. Some cooling overnight will provide relief from the heat for the end of the week. After a couple dry days, thunderstorms will likely return to the eastern Sierra and western Nevada by Sunday and continue into early next week.
August 20, 2020 at 9:19 AM
The North Complex is located on the Mt. Hough Ranger District on the Plumas National Forest and consists of numerous lightning fires being managed as one incident. The fires were ignited during a lightning storm that moved over the Plumas National Forest on the morning of August 17, 2020. Most of the smaller fires (20 acres or less) have been contained. As of August 20, 2020 at 0600 hours, California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 has assumed command of the North Complex.
Largest Fires in the North Complex (approximately 8,600 combined acres):
Sheep Fire: 7,000 acres, 0% contained
Claremont Fire: 1,500+ acres, 0% contained
Bear Fire: 41 acres, 0% contained
August 19, 2020 at 4:30 PM
Sheep fire update
MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDERS AND ROAD CLOSURE:
Effective immediately, a Mandatory Evacuation Order has been issued for residents along Gold Run Road from Amesbury Drive west to the end of Gold Run.
Effective immediately, a Mandatory Evacuation Order has been issued for all residences on Old Archery Road, Old Scotts Logging Road, Childrens Road, and Oak Mountain Drive.
Effective immediately, an Evacuation Warning has been issued for residents along the Gold Run Road west of Gunderson Road west to Amesbury Drive.
Effective immediately, an Evacuation Warning has been issued for residents on the north side of Gold Run Road west of Richmond Road to Gunderson Road.
Effective immediately, an Evacuation Warning has been issued for residents along both sides of Circle Drive from Richmond Road including all roads accessed from Circle Drive.
Gold Run Road is closed to non-residents.
People need to leave the evacuated area. Please use caution and be courteous to your neighbors. Drive with your headlights on and yield to emergency personnel. Residents needing assistance evacuating are asked to call the non-emergency dispatch center at (530)257-6121. If you are in need of shelter for yourself or your animals, including large animals, please call the Emergency Shelter line at (530)250-9088. Large animals can be housed at the Lassen County Fairgrounds. Check in at the Fair office on Russell Drive first before 5pm. After 5pm, call the Emergency Shelter Line. Liability, feed, and care of large animals is the sole responsibility of the animal’s owner. Deputies will be going door to door to make notification.
August 19, 2020 at 5:45 AM
The three largest fires in the complex (Sheep Fire, Fleming Fire, and Willard Fire) have merged into one fire which is now being referred to as the Sheep Fire. The Sheep Fire has crested the Diamond Mountain ridge and can now be seen burning on the hillside above the community of Susanville. Numerous firefighters from multiple agencies are working on the fire.
Extreme fire behavior, crowning, torching and uphill runs reported. Threat to structures with evacuation Orders in place. Threat to private and Federal timberlands, archaeological sites, and the Upper Feather River Watershed. Some fires are burning in Steep rugged terrain. Road and trail closures in effect. Active fires over 5 acres in the North Complex: Bear Fire: 15 acres, 0% contained, Claremont Fire: 450 acres, 0% contained, Copper Fire: 10 acres, 0% contained, Sheep Fire: 1000 acres, 0% contained. 17 other fires currently less than 5 acres. California Type 1, Team 1 (McGowan) in brief today at 1400.
August 18, 2020
10:00pm Update: The #CopperFire is now 95% contained at 20 acres. Firefighters have a small piece of fire line to tie in at the heel of the fire and expect full containment by tomorrow morning. The Plumas County Sheriff’s Office Evacuation Advisory remains in effect (see previous update below).
9:00pm Update: Good news! The Copper Fire is now 80% contained at 20 acres. Plumas County Sheriff’s Office has lifted the Mandatory Evacuations. An Evacuation Advisory remains in effect (see below).
All previous MANDATORY EVACUATION orders have been lifted.
An EVACUATION ADVISORY remains in effect for Williams Valley Road, Lower Williams Valley Road, Upper Williams Valley Road, Copper Creek Camp, Creekside Drive, Powerline Road, Apple Lane, Hilton Lane, Hilltop Drive, Hilltop Lane, Peck Valley Road, Lower Pecks Valley Road, Upper Pecks Valley Road, Quail Court, Blue Knoll Road, and Red Knoll Road, Country Road, and Secluded Valley Drive.
Copper Fire Update: The Copper Fire was reported near the town of Greenville on the #PlumasNF around 3pm today. The fire is currently 10-15 acres and being attacked by firefighters from the air and ground. Plumas County Sheriff’s Office issued a Mandatory Evacuation Order due to the fire (see below). More information on the fire will be posted as it becomes available.
Due to the Copper Fire in the Greenville area the following evacuation orders and advisories have been issued.
A MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER has been placed into effect for Williams Valley Road, Lower Williams Valley Road, Upper Williams Valley Road, Copper Creek Camp, Creekside Drive, Powerline Road, Apple Lane, Hilton Lane, Hilltop Drive, and Hilltop Lane.
An EVACUATION ADVISORY has been issued for Peck Valley Road, Lower Pecks Valley Road, Upper Pecks Valley Road, Quail Court, Blue Knoll Road, and Red Knoll Road, Country Road, and Secluded Valley Drive.
For those residents who live in the advisory sections please be advised your status could be upgraded to mandatory at any time and you are strongly encouraged to pack a “GO” bag and be prepared to leave with very little notice.
Residents in need of shelter are being asked to stage at the Greenville High School parking lot and await contact from a Sheriff’s Deputy and/or a member of the Red Cross.
The Plumas County Fairgrounds and The Taylorsville Rodeo Grounds has been opened to accept all livestock in need of shelter.
An Indian Valley resident, Jim Kanihan, has offered to assist with livestock evacuations and has 10 acres for livestock call 530-410-2052.
8:15 pm update. The #ClaremontFire has now been estimated at 450 acres. The increased acreage is a result of the very steep, difficult terrain of the Middle Fork drainage, combined with today’s gusty winds. The fire burns uphill, and debris rolls downhill, starting more fire below. It is challenging terrain for fighting efforts.
4:30 pm update. The #ClaremontFire is now at approximately 300 acres, and is moving upslope and to the east. Two dozers are headed our way from the Loyalton Fire to assist in building contingency lines on ridgelines on the east side of the fire.
The #ClaremontFire is currently 200 acres. The fire is burning in timber and brush (heavy smoke), and has backed down almost to the Middle Fork of the Feather River. The Pacific Crest Trail is now closed between Onion Valley and Bucks Summit. Thompson Creek Road (24N26) is also closed due to fire traffic. Multiple fires across the north state have stretched firefighting resources. In an effort to be prudent, homeowners along La Porte Road above Thompson Creek may be seeing structure protection engines as a precautionary measure. Residents can expect to see a defined smoke column as inversion lifts.