2nd wildfire in as many weeks frays nerves of Yuba County residents near Smartsville
YUBA COUNTY -- Evacuation orders are now lifted following a fast-moving wildfire in Yuba County. The fire happened on a ridge just west of Collins Lake around 4 p.m. Thursday.
The fire burned nearly 100 acres but all forward progression has stopped.
Heavy smoke and fire made for a stressful afternoon for Greg Colunio whose home was in the path of the fire.
"It burned around my house, and by the grace of God, I did not lose my house this time," Colunio said.
This is the second wildfire near the Smartsville area within the past two weeks. The first one happened up Sicard Flat Road, off Highway 20.
Yuba County officials warn the tall grass left behind by a wet winter and high winds leaves this area vulnerable.
"The winds come up in the late afternoon and a fire can move quickly and that's what we saw this afternoon," county spokesman Russ Brown said.
Brown says, aside from the fire, some residents did not know if they were in an evacuation zone.
For immediate updates on fire progression and evacuation zones and orders, Brown says to visit the Zone Haven website.