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UPDATE: Airola Fire In Calaveras County Grows To 1,000 Acres; Evacuations Underway

August 25, 2021 / 8:13 PM PDT / CBS San Francisco

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CALAVERAS COUNTY (CBS SF) -- A wildfire began burning in Calaveras County Wednesday and has quickly grown to an estimated 1,000 acres in size, prompting evacuations.

The Airola Fire began around 3:30 p.m. just west of Columbia and northeast of New Melones Lake in the Stanislaus River Canyon. It was named for the origin at Airola Road and Parrotts Ferry Road.

The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office said the following areas were under immediate evacuation orders:

All of Parrots Ferry Road from the Tuolumne/Calaveras County line at Parrots Ferry Bridge to Highway 4 including Moaning Cavern and Camp Nine Road areas as well as East of Red Hill Road to Parrots Ferry Road

The towns of Douglas Flat and Murphys were issued evacuation warnings. An evacuation center was set up at Mark Twain Elementary school in Angels Camp.

Parrotts Ferry Road at State Route 4 was shut down in both directions and as of 5:30 p.m. there was no estimated time of reopening.

#RT @CAL_FIRE: #AirolaFire off Parrotts Ferry Rd and Airola Rd, west of Columbia in Calaveras County is 700 acres. Evacuations in progress. @CALFIRETCU
https://t.co/p2zokobgG6 pic.twitter.com/tnpRi2HzQR
— CAL FIRE PIO (@CALFIRE_PIO) August 26, 2021

This is a breaking news update. More information to be added as available.

At family's watching the smoke over the last hour, looking from Angels Camp towards Vallecito #airolafire pic.twitter.com/q1RJmQxYp7
— kai (@kai46503240) August 26, 2021

Wildfires