Northern California wildfires: Updates on Dixie, Tamarack fires ahead of weather threat
As Northern California battles multiple serious wildfires, weather forecasts suggest hazardous conditions are ahead, including the threat of more wildfire starts as soon as Sunday from dry lightning.
The National Weather Service’s Sacramento office issued a red flag warning for the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, parts of the Bay area and parts of the San Joaquin Valley set to go into effect 5 p.m. Sunday through 11 a.m. Monday. A fire weather watch for the rest of the Sacramento Valley will go into effect 5 p.m. Sunday and last through 5 p.m. Monday as the thunderstorms roll in.
Weather service officials say that the storms, accompanied by little or no rainfall, are likely to spark wildfires in Northern California.
“Given critically dry fuels, any lightning strikes may result in high probability of ignition,” weather service officials said in the fire weather watch. “Rapid spread of fire possible depending on terrain and local wind conditions.”
Fire crews are already contending with four major regional fires, which have evacuated hundreds of residents and destroyed homes in mountain communities.
Here’s the latest on Northern California’s major fires as of 10 a.m. Sunday:
Dixie Fire
The Dixie Fire is burning in Butte and Plumas counties near the Feather River Canyon. It has burned 15,074 acres and is 15% contained.
The fire started Wednesday and grew quickly amid dry weather. On Thursday, the fire was mapped at 2,250 acres, growing to nearly 8,000 by Friday as northeast winds pushed the fire away from Butte County communities previously ravaged by the Camp Fire in 2018. By Sunday morning, the fire had grown by more than 5,000 acres.
Fire crews have made progress on containment lines, but conditions have proved challenging.
“The (fire) is burning in a remote area with limited access, extended travel times and steep terrain which are creating challenges with containment,” Cal Fire officials wrote in a Sunday update. “Firefighters worked through the night to construct direct line and extinguish interior hotspots.”
On Thursday, officials said they were hoping to keep the fire from moving into Butte County communities with help from control lines established during the fight against the Camp Fire and 2020’s North Complex fire. Winds are expected to continue pushing northeast overnight, with gusts up to 25 mph.
Evacuation orders have been issued to communities in High Lakes, Storrie, Rock Crest and Tobin. Several communities in Butte and Plumas County remain under evacuation warnings, including Pulga, Snag Lake, Chambers Creek, Rodgers Flat and Belden.
On Sunday, evacuation orders were added for the Jonesville and Philbrook areas. A shelter is available Oroville Church of the Nazarene, 2238 Monte Vista Ave.
The U.S. Forest Service on Saturday issued a closure order for part of the Plumas National Forest near the fire zone.
A total of 1,669 personnel are assigned to the Dixie Fire. One first responder has been injured in the fire, although no structures have been damaged or destroyed. Cal Fire officials said that more resources have been requested.
Dixie Fire map
Source: National Interagency Fire Center
Tamarack Fire
The Tamarack Fire has burned about 25,000 acres and is uncontained. The fire was sparked by lightning July 4 and exploded Friday after nearly two weeks of low activity.
The fire, which started in the Mokelumne Wilderness, grew from 500 acres Friday night, and pushed into Markleeville from the south.
Officials said six structures have been destroyed, although the extent of damage in Markleeville remains unclear. The fire has since jumped Highway 89 and pushed north of Markleeville.
Markleeville is under a mandatory evacuation, along with many other communities. Highways 4, 88 and 89 are closed in the area.
Crews at Tamarack Fire brace for ‘erratic winds’ as red flag warning takes effect
Beckwourth Complex
The Beckwourth Complex, comprised of the small, nearly-contained Dotta Fire and the massive Sugar Fire, has burned 105,348 acres and is 73% contained. The fires are burning about 3 miles northeast of Beckwourth and span nearly to the Nevada state line.
The Sugar Fire started July 2 and has grown massively since then. The Dotta Fire started June 30 and has remained mostly inactive. Both fires were sparked by lightning.
The Sugar Fire burned into the town of Doyle last weekend after jumping Highway 395 and destroyed more than 30 homes there. The fire remains active on its northwestern flanks, and officials said Saturday that winds were threatening to once again whip up the blaze.
“Increased winds during the afternoon have been threatening containment lines,” Forest Service officials said in a Saturday update. By Sunday, however, conditions improved and containment was up by 3% despite the winds.
“The Sugar Fire within the Beckwourth Complex has shown little growth and is remaining within its present parameter,” a Sunday update read. “Crews have been monitoring some smoldering, smoking pockets of fuel within the fire’s perimeter.”
Several evacuation orders remain in place in areas where the fire is still active, but Forest Service officials say that crews are in “the final push towards full containment of the fire complex.”
The fire’s acreage didn’t increase overnight.
Personnel assigned to the fire have been downgraded to 897 on Sunday from 2,346 on Saturday. The Beckwourth Complex is the largest fire of the year.
Beckwourth Complex map
Source: National Interagency Fire Center
Salt Fire
The Salt Fire has burned 12,660 acres south of Lakehead and is 95% contained. The fire was started June 30 by a faulty vehicle traveling on northbound Interstate 5.
Although crews had been working on mopping up the Salt Fire, on Friday a new fire start was sparked by a Forest Service excavator, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report.
The newspaper reported that the excavator was working on repairing fire lines when it caught fire for unknown reasons.
A Saturday Forest Service update indicated that the new blaze was 10 acres and a fire line was established around it overnight.
“Today the focus will be on strengthening the lines and completely mopping up the new fire,” Forest Service officials said. The Salt Fire is expected to continue smoldering, but crews do not expect much further fire activity after several days of minimal growth.
About 185 personnel are assigned to the fire. The fire’s acreage and containment didn’t change overnight.
Salt Fire live map
Source: National Interagency Fire Center
