It’s been a busy couple of days for fire fighters in Northern California. At least five new fires started over the weekend in the region over the weekend – many were in the North State.
According to Cal Fire, the largest started late Sunday morning in Lassen County off Willard Creek Road west of Susanville. Dubbed the Willard Fire, it’s still estimated to be 2,500 acres in size. Current containment is unknown.
As of now Cal Fire reports mandatory evacuations for that fire are in effect for Cheney Creek near Highway 36.
An evacuation center at the Community Church of Susanville on Numa Road near Cameron Way remains open with large animals being evacuated to Lassen County Fairground in Susanville.
Also Sunday, a fire called the Howard Fire broke out in Modoc County. It’s in Howard’s Gulch, north of Canby and is currently 350 acres in size and 35 percent contained. So far, Cal Fire is not reporting any evacuations.
In Shasta County, the Lake Fire was last reported by Cal Fire to be 50 percent contained. According to the Redding Record Searchlight ,that fire was started by a after a suspected DUI driver crashed. The paper reports three houses were destroyed. At last report that fire was 75 acres in size.
Also this weekend were the 40 and 50 acre Ruff and Boys fires in Sacramento and Mendocino counties. Both of those are nearly contained.
Ongoing since late August is the Gap Fire in the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County – it’s currently 32,000 acres in size and now 85 percent contained. A community meeting is scheduled tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at the Seiad Valley fire station regarding the Gap Fire.
In Butte County, the Saddle Fire south of Paradise has been declared 100 percent contained. All evacuations for that fire have been lifted.
According to the National Weather Service critical fire conditions are expected later today due to low humidity and gusty winds in Sacramento Valley and in areas near Weaverville, Hayfork, Mt. Shasta and Dunsmuir.