Air attack units with the US Forest Service have resumed airdrops on another fire in the Feather River Canyon this morning. Officials said that despite a very active response Monday, the so-called Tobin Fire has burned 375 acres.
The blaze, centered north of State Highway 70, is burning west of Rock Creek and east of Jackass Creek. Officials say the area is heavy with fuel — dead snags still standing after fires struck the same area in 2000 and 2008. Firefighters are being hampered by steep and rugged terrain.
Officials expect the fire to continue spreading eastward. A total of 274 firefighters have been assigned to the blaze.
Highway 70, campgrounds and businesses remain open in the area. A temporary flight restriction is in effect over the area. The fire’s cause is under investigation.
The blaze was first reported Monday morning.
Meanwhile, Sonoma County’s Sawmill Fire is 55 percent contained. Well over 1,000 firefighters were dispatched to the blaze east of Cloverdale, which threatened geo-thermal electric plants. The blaze has reached 1,500 acres.
In Modoc County, firefighters have largely checked the progress of the Soup Complex of fires. A forest closure order was lifted at midnight. The fire has burned 2,652 acres, and it is 62 percent contained.