BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. — Cal Fire officials announced during a Thursday news conference they will now be referring to the Bear Fire as the North Complex West Zone.
Two fires burned in Plumas National Forest, the Claremont and Bear Fires. Normally, a fire gets its name from the larger one when two fires merge. Cal Fire officials call multiple fires in a single location a complex.
Officials lumped the Bear Fire within the North Complex fires after flames pressed into Butte County. They said they are doing this to avoid confusion.
Officials also asked those on social media to refer to the fire burning in Butte County as the North Complex West Zone.
According to Cal Fire, the North Complex fires burned 247,358 acres and is 23% contained. Officials identified seven more people who died from the North Complex West Zone fire, bringing the total to 10. There are still 16 people reported missing.