Update 11:15 p.m.:
Sheriff’s officials in Butte County have now upgraded all current evacuation warnings to orders. The latest upgrade came at 11 p.m. for the communities of Kelly Ridge and Copley Acres.
Residents are being told to leave immediately. A map of the affected area is shown below:
Authorities have shut down eastbound Highway 162 between Canyon Drive and Foreman Creek Road because of the fire. There is no estimated time for reopening.
Update 10:45 p.m.:
An evacuation order is now in effect for residents living east of Miners Ranch Road at Highway 162 and Oro-Bangor Highway in Butte County.
The order includes those living near Bangor and part of the Mt. Ida area, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office said. Residents are being told to leave immediately.
Update 9:30 p.m.:
A new evacuation warning has been issued for some communities bordering the Bear Fire.
According to the Butte County Sheriff's Office, residents in the communities of Kelly Ridge, Copley Acres, Mount Ida, and Bangor need to make preparations to evacuate should the warning get upgraded to an order.
A map of the affected areas is included below:
Original:
A grass fire has forced officials to issue new evacuation orders nearly a month after the fire first sparked.
The Bear Fire is part of the North Complex, which has grown to 40,843 acres since first sparking on August 17. Crews have the fire 51% contained.
The North Complex spans three counties, Plumas, Butte and Lassen.
The Butte County Sheriff's Office issued new evacuation orders Tuesday.
As of 3:25 p.m., those orders included the areas of:
- Feather Falls
- Clipper Mills
- Berry Creek
- Brush Creek
- Forbestown
In Plumas County, the following areas are under a mandatory evacuation order:
- La Porte Rd & New York Flat Rd, north of Brownsville to border of Butte & Plumas Co. This includes Forbestown, Woodleaf, Clipper Mills, and Strawberry Valley.
A Temporary Evacuation Point has been established at Oroville Church of the Nazarene located at 2238 Monte Vista Avenue in Oroville. Anyone who needs to access this shelter is asked to stay inside their vehicles and a Butte County or Red Cross will assist you.
WILDFIRE PREPS
According to Cal Fire, in 2019, California wildfires burned just under 260,000 acres from 7,860 incidents. Over 700 structures were damaged or destroyed and three people were killed. This follower two years of some of the “deadliest and most destructive wildfires” in California history.
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. A defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris is 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 to best prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
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