BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. — Friday, Aug. 13, marks officially one month since the Dixie Fire ignited and people who lived in the areas impacted by the fire are still missing.
The Plumas County Sheriff's Office is searching for four missing residents.
These unaccounted individuals are:
- Alan Kuhl of Chester
- Ronald Avila of Greenville
- Raymond Hunt of Greenville
- Irene Andrews of Greenville
The sheriff's office is asking the missing individuals to contact them at (530) 283-6300 to report their safety. As of 11:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 13, 43 people who were reported missing were reported safe.
According to Cal Fire, the one-month-old Dixie Fire continues to burn in Butte, Lassen, Plumas and Tehama counties, burning a total of 537,776 acres with only 31% containment. It remains the second-largest wildfire in state history and the largest currently burning in California.
Evacuation orders were issued on Friday for Tehama County residents near Mill Creek, south of Lassen Volcanic Park. An evacuation warning was also issued near the north of Mineral.
Plumas County also issued additional evacuation orders that impact all of Genesee Valley, which is southeast of Taylorsville up the Genesee Road to the south of Babcock Crossing, Walker Mine Road and the north portion of Beckwourth Genesee Road.
Friday's forecast consists of thunderstorms and triple digits that could heavily affect the growth of the Dixie Fire.
Cal Fire said an outflow of air created erratic winds and strong gusts, which combined with higher temperatures and clear skies, caused the flames to be very active at Keddie Point and Dyer Mountain.
In a recent news release from Lassen and Plumas National Forest, weather stations actually measured only two-hundredths of an inch of rainfall at Quincy East and Dyer Mountain. Therefore, the rainfall did not have enough of an impact to be considered "wetting rain."
Lassen County residents and those living nearby are having trouble dialing 911 because the Dixie Fire damaged a fiber optic cable.
Cal Fire said although two new starts happened Thursday they were able to get on it fast and a crew is in the process of putting a black line around both of them. Ground access also continues to be a challenge, with burned trees falling on crossroads, blocking entry into areas of concern, and thick smoke is making it difficult for crews to fight the fire from above.
"Yesterday, I think they drop 35,000 gallons of water, so they were working a very active portion of the fire, but when the smoke rolls in, our air crafts can’t fly because they can’t see the ground," Mark Beveridge, Cal Fire spokesperson, said.
So far, there have been reported of 1,113 structures having been destroyed, along with 74 additional structures damaged. Three first responders have been injured.
Click HERE for Thursday's updates.
Accounts to follow:
Evacuations and road closures
Click HERE for in-depth evacuation orders and warnings in Plumas, Butte, Tehama, and Lassen Counties. For current state highway/route information visit roads.dot.ca.gov.
Evacuation centers
- Spring of Hope Church, 59 Belle Lane Quincy, CA 95971
- run by the American Red Cross California Gold Country Region
- Lassen Community College at 478-200 CA-139 Susanville
- Lassen High School 1110 Main St., Susanville, CA
- Holy Family Catholic Church 108 Taylor Ave. Portola, CA
- Recreation Center 101 Meadowview Lane, Chester
- 201 Mill Creek Rd. Quincy (small animals)
- Plumas County Fairgrounds 204 Fairground Road, Quincy (large animals)
- Tehama County Complex 1830 Walnut Street, Red Bluff (large and small animals)
Dixie Fire Structure Status Map
A live map showing which structures have been destroyed or at risk is available below.
Butte County Evacuation Map
A live evacuation map from Butte County is available below.
Wildfire Map
An updated map of the acreage of the Dixie Fire
WILDFIRE PREPS
According to Cal Fire, 2020 was one of the most severe fire seasons on record as 9,917 wildfires burned 4.2 million acres. Over 9,000 structures were destroyed, and 31 people (civilians and firefighters) were killed.
California also experienced its first "Gigafire" because of the August Complex Fire, burning over 1 million acres by itself. Four of California's top five largest wildfires in state history happened in 2020.
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and know your community’s evacuation plans best to prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
Some counties use Nixle alerts to update residents on severe weather, wildfires, and other news. To sign up, www.nixle.com or text your zip code to 888777 to start receiving alerts.
PG&E customers can also subscribe to alerts via text, email, or phone call. If you're a PG&E customer, visit the Profile & Alerts section of your account to register.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: California Wildfires: Dixie Fire Thursday evening update - Aug. 12, 2021