Thompson Fire in Butte County grows to over 3,500 acres near Oroville; 28,000 people under evacuation orders
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BUTTE COUNTY – California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after the large and destructive Thompson Fire prompted evacuation orders near the city of Oroville in Butte County.
The state of emergency allows a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be secured in order to provide crucial resources to the area. The grant is provided through a federal disaster relief fund and could provide federal funding for up to 75% of firefighting costs.
The California Office of Emergency Services also said it was deploying additional fire and law enforcement resources to assist with the fire.
The Thompson Fire was threatening critical infrastructure including water supply and power supply to the Oroville area. Butte County and the City of Oroville both declared local emergencies.
Butte County officials say they are offering residents free N-95 respirator masks to help deal with the poor air quality. The masks are being given out at the Department of Employment and Social Services at 78 Table Mountain Boulevard and Oroville Public Safety Facility at 2055 Lincoln Street, both in Oroville.
The City of Oroville also enforced a temporary fireworks ban that will be in place until further notice. The city's Fourth of July fireworks show was also canceled by the California Parks Department due to public safety concerns.
The Thompson Fire ignited Tuesday in the area of Cherokee Road and Thompson Flat Cemetery and has burned more than 3,568 acres with 7% containment reported.
Eight firefighters have been injured, according to Cal Fire. The extent of their injuries is unknown.
Though multiple structures have been burned or destroyed, Cal Fire said it could not yet conduct an accurate assessment to determine an exact number.
One couple fought side-by-side with firefighters to save their home. They said the fire burned within feet of their porch and had mowed in anticipation of fire season.
On Tuesday night, CBS Sacramento captured images of a burned-down home on Canyon Drive in north Oroville.
In addition to the images captured by CBS Sacramento, several photos from Getty Images depict structures and cars engulfed in flames in Oroville.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Butte County has a history of destructive wildfires. In 2018, the Camp Fire almost completely destroyed the town of Paradise, killing 85 people and scorching more than 150,000 acres. It was the deadliest wildfire in California history.
A Camp Fire survivor was among volunteers providing free food, drinks and other resources to Thompson Fire evacuees in Oroville on Wednesday.
Evacuation zones and shelters
Mandatory evacuation orders were affecting approximately 28,000 people as of Wednesday near downtown Oroville east to Kelly Ridge and up north just past Cannon Reservoir. Evacuation Orders are in place for the following zones: 532-536, 700-716, 730, 731, 800, 801, 807- 810, 818, 819, 851, 953, 954, 958, 959, 960, and 965.
Mandatory evacuations for parts of zone 806, and all of zones 817, 828 and 965A were downgraded to warnings on Wednesday afternoon.
Evacuation Warnings are in effect for Zones 531, 726, 727, 964, 802, 804-806A, 811, 816, 817, 820, 828 and 965A.
Several state water project facilities are also under evacuation orders, including the Hyatt Powerplant facility and the Lake Oroville Visitor Center. The powerplant was offline as of Wednesday morning due to the de-energized powerlines shut off by Pacific Gas & Electric. Essential staff have also been relocated.
Evacuation shelters have been opened at the Oroville Church of the Nazarene at 2238 Monte Vista Ave. and the Gridley Fairgrounds at 199 E Hazel St. in Gridley.
An evacuation shelter for small animals has been set up at 2279 Del Oro Ave. in Oroville, with a shelter for large animals operating at the Camelot Equestrian Park at 1985 Clark Road in Oroville.
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