NEVADA COUNTY, Calif — Evacuations are in place due to a wildfire that sparked in part of Nevada County.
The Nevada County Sheriff's Office said the Highway Fire started around Washington Road at Highway 20, not far from the town of Washington. The fire has burned about 25 acres with 5% containment so far and is burning in the Tahoe National Forest, according to Cal Fire.
An evacuation order is in place for zones NCO-E030, NCO-E315 and NCO-316. The orders generally impact the town of Washington, the Washington Overlook area, and the areas of Omega and Diggins. Evacuation warnings are in effect for NCO-E318 and NCO-E015.
Incident Commander Jason Flores said there's been good progress made hose lays and handline construction, however in the Alpha Road area, they have some concerns with drainages due to down canyon winds.
Flores said the fire is currently holding on Alpha Road. More resources are expected Wednesday night to help with the fire. He expects resources to be working the fire for the next couple of days.
Evacuation Map
An evacuation map from the Nevada County Sheriff's Office is available here.
A temporary evacuation point is expected to be set up at the Madelyn Helling Library at 980 Helling Way. An animal evacuation center is available at the Nevada County Fairgrounds.
Wildfire Map
This map from ESRI shows fire activity (this may take a few seconds to load).
WILDFIRE PREPS
According to Cal Fire, the 2022 fire season was quieter than previous years, but there were still several significant fires. January 2022 saw just one major incident with the Colorado Fire in Monterey County burning 687 acres. Fires picked up in May when the Lost Lake Fire burned through 5,856 acres. The largest fire in 2022, the Mosquito Fire, started in early September. It burned through more than 76,000 acres in El Dorado and Placer counties.
Overall, 331,360 acres burned in 2022 from 7,477 wildfires — well below the five-year average of 2.3 million acres. Over 870 structures were affected and nine people were killed, all civilians.
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, and 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 knowing your community’s evacuation plans best to prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
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