North Complex Fire In Plumas National Forest Spurs Evacuation Orders In 3 Counties

PLUMAS COUNTY (CBS SF) — A wildfire burning in the Plumas National Forest on Tuesday has led to mandatory evacuation orders in parts of Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties, according to authorities.

The orders were associated with the North Complex Fire, which includes the Bear Fire and the Claremont Fire that apparently have merged.

The North Complex consists of numerous lightning fires being managed as one incident. The fires were ignited during a lightning storm that moved over the Plumas National Forest on the morning of August 17, according to fire officials. The fire is currently 40,843 acres and 51 percent contained.

Tuesday evening, users were sharing ominous looking time-lapse video showing flames and massive plumes of smoke shot by PG&E's Lexington Hill camera.

The first evacuation order was issued for La Porte and the area near the Little Grass Valley Reservoir late Tuesday morning by the Plumas County Sheriff's Office. It said all residents in the town of La Porte and people in the campgrounds and recreational facilities at Little Grass Valley Road west of Quincy La Porte Road were being ordered to leave the area.

The announcement said that Quincy La Porte Road was closed and evacuees should leave the area south on Quincy La Porte Road toward Yuba County.

Temporary evacuation staging areas are being set up by Yuba County OES at the Dobbins Alcouffee Center located in Oregon House at 9185 Marysville Road and at the Ponderosa Community Center in Brownsville located at 17103 Ponderosa Way.

Additional evacuation warnings were issued by the Butte County Sheriff Tuesday afternoon at around 1 p.m. for residents living in the communities of Feather Falls and Clipper Mills. By 3:25 p.m., that warning had been upgraded to an evacuation order.

Authorities in Yuba County also issued an evacuation order Tuesday afternoon at about 4:30 p.m.

Yuba County Sheriff Department has issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents in the area of La Porte Road and New York Flat Road, north of Brownsville to the county lines at Butte and Plumas.

Anyone living north of that intersection in Yuba County was ordered to evacuate immediately due to the fire currently in Plumas and Butte Counties that was moving towards Yuba County.

The order included the communities of Forbestown, Woodleaf, Clipper Mills and Strawberry Valley.

Anyone who hears the high/low siren approaching, should evacuate the area immediately, proceeding south to leave the area.

More information on the fire can be found on the state's incident information system website.

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• Wildfires