Quincy Fire east of Oroville burns nearly 100 acres, forces evacuation warnings
BUTTE COUNTY – A fire burning in southeastern Butte County forced officials to issue evacuation warnings on Thursday.
Cal Fire initially said the fire had burned 125 acres and was spreading at a moderate to dangerous rate. At around 4:30 p.m., the agency said forward progress was stopped and downgraded the acreage burned to approximately 90 acres.
The fire was burning off View Crest Drive and Old Olive Highway, east of Oroville.
Several zones near the fire were in an evacuation warning for several hours.
Butte County 2024 fire season
Butte County has already seen several destructive fires this season, including the Park Fire – which destroyed more than 700 buildings while burning more than 429,000 acres in Butte and Tehama counties.
A Chico man accused of starting the state's fourth-largest fire in Upper Bidwell Park has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors said he was seen pushing a burning car into a gully near Alligator Hole on July 24.
Earlier in July, the Thompson Fire burned near Oroville, destroying over a dozen homes and forcing more than 17,000 people to evacuate.
Just last month, prosecutors announced they had arrested an Oroville man who is suspected of starting the fire. They said he admitted to purchasing fireworks and throwing a lit firework out of his vehicle.