Firefighters Gain Full Containment Of Destructive River Fire
COLFAX (CBS13) — The latest on the River Fire burning near Colfax:
8:04: p.m.
Firefighters on Friday gained full containment on the River Fire, which has burned more than 2,600 acres, destroyed more than 100 homes and injured four people in Placer and Nevada counties, Cal Fire announced.
The firs has been burning since August 4 and forced mandatory evacuations across both counties. In total, 142 structures were completely destroyed while another 21 were damaged by the flames.
Of the four injured, two were civilians and the other two were firefighters.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Tuesday's updates below:
8:25 a.m.
Containment of the River Fire continues to jump.
On Tuesday morning, Cal Fire reported that the wildfire is now 78 percent contained. The fire still stands at the same acreage it has been since the weekend, just over 2,600 acres.
Firefighters are continuing to work on strengthening containment lines.
Cal Fire has said they expect the fire to be fully contained by the end of the week.
Previous day's updates below:
7:45 a.m.
Containment of the River Fire continues to increase.
As of Monday morning, Cal Fire reports that containment is now up to 68 percent.
The fire still stands at just over 2,600 acres.
Firefighters will be continuing their work to strengthen containment lines this week.
Cal Fire says they expect the fire to be fully contained by Friday.
Previous day's updates below:
4:55 p.m.
As firefighters successfully continue to gain containment of the River Fire, while keeping the flames from spreading, the Placer County Sheriff's Office lifted even more evacuation orders.
The order was lifted for the following addresses on Hillcrest Boulevard 1320,1325,1380,1385, 1405, 1420, 1460, 1475, 1480, 1495, 1505, 1511,1517, 1535, 1539, 1545. The sheriff's office said 24850 Madrone is also good to open back up.
10:35 a.m.
Containment has improved to 62 percent overnight as firefighters continue to fight flames within the 2,600 acres that have burned, according to Cal Fire.
Additionally, most evacuation orders have been lifted with less than 400 still waiting to return to their homes.
Previous day's updates:
3:44 p.m.
Containment on the River Fire continued to rise into Saturday, with Cal Fire reporting it at 48%. Additionally, the total acreage burned remained at 2,600.
Though various orders have been lifted, mandatory evacuation orders still remain in place for the following areas:
Placer County
- Zone 1: Railroad tracks west to the river. Mt. Howell Rd north to
Ben Taylor Rd. - Zone 2: Rollins Lake Rd west to the river. Ben Taylor Rd north to
Rollins Lake.
Nevada County
- NCO-E050: Dog Bar Rd. (Central); Mount Olive Rd. (Western)-North of Buck Ridge Rd.; Dog Bar Rd. and East; South of Rattlesnake and Birch Meadow Acres; West of Clydesdale Rd.
- NCO-E102: Sierra Knoll Estates; Dog Bar (South) – North of Retherford Rd.; Sierra Knoll Estates and East; South of Taylor Crossing Rd.; West of the Bear River (County Line)
- NCO-E103: Mount Olive (Eastern)-North and South Mt. Olive Rd., West of Hwy 174, North of Bear River, East of Mt Olive Including Rolphholm Rd. and Clydesdale Rd.
No other areas are under any orders for mandatory or advised evacuations.
For those still forced away from home, evacuation centers are still up at the Regional Park Gymnasium at 3770 Richardson Dr. in Auburn and Bear River High School at 11130 Magnolia Rd. in Grass Valley.
10:30 p.m.
Firefighters made good progress on the River Fire Friday.
According to Cal Fire, the acreage burned stayed at 2,600 into the night, while containment jumped again to 40%.
There have been three reported injuries so far: one firefighter and two civilians. Additionally, Cal Fire said 88 structures have been destroyed in the fire, while another 20 were damaged. Cal Fire said 3,400 more structures are threatened.
7:25 p.m.
More evacuation orders and warnings were lifted Friday evening as firefighters were able to mitigate the spread of the River Fire.
According to Cal Fire, mandatory evacuations were lifted for the following Nevada County areas:
- NCO-E178: Sunshine Valley Rd., Old Coach Way- All of and North of Old Coach Way, East of Woodpecker Ravine, South and West of Lower Colfax Rd.
- NCO-E180: Orchard Springs & Bear River Pines-South of Greenhorn Access Rd., West of Rollins Lake, North of the Bear River, East of Hwy 174.
- NCO-E386: Powerline Rd., Talking Pines Rd., Panorama Dr.-The east side of Colfax Hwy south of Bertino Rd. The west side of Lower Colfax Rd. south of Panorama Dr., North of the Chicago Park Post Office.
The following areas in the county remain under evacuation orders:
- NCO-E050: Dog Bar Rd. (Central); Mount Olive Rd.(Western)-North of Buck Ridge Rd.; Dog Bar Rd. and East; South of Rattlesnake and Birch Meadow Acres; West of Clydesdale Rd.
- NCO-E102: Sierra Knoll Estates; Dog Bar (South) – North of Retherford Rd.; Sierra Knoll Estates and East; South of Taylor Crossing Rd.; West of the Bear River (County Line)
- NCO-E103: Mount Olive (Eastern)-North and South Mt. Olive Rd., West of Hwy 174, North of Bear River, East of Mt Olive Including Rolphholm Rd. and Clydesdale Rd.
In Placer County, evacuation orders are as follows:
- Zone 1B: Evacuation Order Area Lifted-Railroad tracks west to Tokayana Way and Placer Hills Road to include every road off of those two roads. This does not include all of Milk Ranch Road and Campbell Creek Place. Ben Taylor Road to Sunray Lane is lifted.
- Zone 2B: Evacuation Order Area Lifted-Rollins Lake Road west to the river. Highway 174 north to Rollins Lake. Evacuation Order Lifted for the following streets off of Highway 174; Drynan Lane, Oakhurt Lane, Amy Way, Gladycon Road, and Schroeder Lanes and all roads leading off of the above listed roads.
- Zone 3: Evacuation Order Lifted-City of Colfax in its entirety.
1:04 p.m.
Some Evacuation Warnings have now been lifted in both Nevada and Placer counties.
According to Cal Fire, these following areas have had the warnings lifted:
• Zone 4: Railroad tracks west to the river, west Weimar Cross Rd. north to Dogbar Rd.
• Zone 5: East of I 80 to Rollins Lake, north to Secret Town Nevada County https://community.zonehaven.com/
• NCO-E048: Alta Sierra Country Club; Brewer Rd. (Northern); Fay Rd., Carrie Dr., Rainbow Rd. – North of Wolf Creek; Annie Drive and West; South Alta Sierra Dr.; West of Dog Bar and Norvin Way
• NCO-E163: Brewer Rd. (Southern); Buck Mountain; Lodestar Dr.- North of Conestoga Dr.; Brewer Rd. and East; South of Clover Valley & Norvin Way; West of Dog Bar Rd.
• NCO-E179: Peardale, (Central) Lower Colfax, Dalmatian- South and West of Hwy 174, North of Sunshine Valley and Panorama Dr., East of Woodpecker Ravine
• NCO-E181: Sontag; You Bet Rd. (Western); Greenhorn Access Rd.; Lost Lake Rd. (Southern)-East of Hwy 174, North and South of You Bet Rd., West of Greenhorn Creek and North of Greenhorn Access Rd.
• NCO-E187: You Bet Rd. (Eastern and Southern)-South of You Bet Rd., West of Steep Hollow Creek, North of Bear River and Rollins Reservoir, East of Little Green Horn Creek.
• NCO-E192:Woodpecker Ravine,Casa Loma Dr., Southern Rattlesnake Rd., Goodall Mine Rd.-South of Highland Dr., Wes Woodpecker Ravine, North of Oak Meadows, East of Rattlesnake Rd.
7:30 a.m.
Containment is growing against the River Fire.
Friday morning, Cal Fire reported that the wildfire near Colfax had stayed at 2,600 acres - the number it was at Thursday night. Containment has jumped up from 15 percent to 30 percent.
A total of 88 structures have been destroyed in the fire.
Full containment is now expected by Aug. 14, Cal Fire says.
Several evacuation orders remain in effect.
Previous day's updates below:
8:07 p.m.
At least three injuries have been reported in the River Fire. Cal Fire said two civilians and a firefighter suffered minor injuries.
The fire has grown to burn 2,600 acres and was 15% contained. Cal Fire said 76 structures have been completely destroyed, including several homes. Another 20 structures were damaged. Approximately 3,400 more structures are threatened by flames.
After the fire erupted in size on Wednesday, Cal Fire said cooler temperatures Thursday allowed them to make good progress on building containment lines. Crews will work through the night to strengthen those containment lines, though the agency warns that increased temperatures on Friday may increase fire behavior.
As of Thursday evening, 858 firefighters were on assignment.
10:46 a.m.
The Nevada County Office of Emergency Services says a total of 4,298 residents in their area are under evacuation orders. Another 5,375 residents are under evacuation warnings.
In Placer County, authorities say about 2,400 residents are under evacuation orders.
9:23 a.m.
FEMA has authorized federal funds to help in the battle against the River Fire.
The move provides federal funding for up to 75 percent of eligible firefighting costs, the agency says. This includes expenses like field camps and equipment use for firefighters.
Gov. Gavin Newsom says the officials have also activated the State Operations Center to coordinate the fire response.
7:25 a.m.
Cal Fire says the River Fire has grown to 2,400 acres as of Thursday morning.
No containment has been reported.
Firefighters say temperatures will be lower on Thursday, but winds remain a concern.
Several evacuation orders remain in effect. Head here for the latest evacuation information: https://news.caloes.ca.gov/2021-river-fire-updates/
6:53 a.m.
The morning after the first day of the River Fire is revealing just how much devastation the wildfire caused.
Off Mount Olive Road, three miles north of Colfax, burned homes and vehicles are clearly visible.
Embers are still burning in the area.
The wildfire grew quickly to 1,000 acres on Wednesday, prompting numerous evacuation orders.
On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom commented about the fire on Twitter.
"Grateful for the firefighters and first responders on the front lines fighting the #RiverFire. If you're in the area — please listen to local authority warnings and evacuate when asked. Stay safe," Newsom wrote.
No updated numbers of the fire have been released yet.
Previous day's updates below:
9:00 p.m.
Around 35-40 structures, including homes, have been destroyed by the fire. Cal Fire said approximately 4,000 structures are threatened, half of which are in the town of Colfax.
For Placer County evacuation information, go here. For Nevada County evacuation information, go here.
7:40 p.m.
The River Fire has grown to 1,400 acres with containment still at zero. The fire is impacting Placer and Nevada counties and has prompted evacuations for several areas. For Nevada County residents, this website will show which areas are impacted by the evacuation orders.
7:15 p.m.
Multiple homes have been burned as the River Fire has exploded in size, though the exact number of structures damaged is unknown at this time.
The city of Colfax remains under evacuation. Multiple evacuation sites in Placer and Nevada counties have been set up. More evacuation info can be found below.
Additionally, the American Red Cross said two overnight shelters will be in place as of 8 p.m. at Bear River High School at 11130 Magnolia Road in Grass Valley and Auburn Regional Park at 3770 Richardson Drive in Auburn. The temporary evacuation shelter at Auburn Memorial Hall is expected to close soon.
6:00 p.m.
Cal Fire said the River Fire has exploded in size to 1,000 acres. Containment was still at zero.
5:15 p.m.
Firefighters were working on structure protection as flames from the River Fire jumped a property line into a backyard and was threatening multiple homes.
The fire was reported to have now burned 500 acres and was still at zero containment.
4:38 p.m.
The Placer County Sheriff's Office said residents who are under evacuation orders can go to the Auburn Veterans Memorial Hall at 100 East Street—which is accepting pets—or the Gold Country Fairgrounds and Event Center at 209 Fairgate Road in Auburn, which is accepting pets until 5 p.m.
4:22 p.m.
Bear River High School at 11130 Magnolia Road in Grass Valley is being set up as a temporary evacuation point, Nevada County officials said.
Mandatory evacuation orders are now for the following areas: Bear River Campground, Milk Ranch Road to Tokyana Road, north of Moorhaven Way from the river to Placer Hills Road, Placer Hills Road east to the Bear River and Ben Taylor Road south along Placer Hills Road to Moorhaven Way.
3:54 p.m.
The Nevada County Office of Emergency Services announced Wednesday afternoon that the county fairgrounds on McCourtney Road in Grass Valley is accepting animals from residents who are being forced to evacuate.
3:43 p.m.
The fire, now dubbed the River Fire, which is impacting portions of Placer and Nevada counties has burned 100 acres so far, according to Cal Fire. Containment was still at zero percent.
2:56 p.m.
An evacuation order has been issued from the Bear River Campground to both sides of Milk Ranch Road to Tokyana Road due to a fire Wednesday afternoon.
The Placer County Sheriff's Office says they are also sending out evacuation warnings to several residents just outside the immediate area.
A large plume of smoke can be seen coming from the area.
No other details about the wildfire have been released at this point.
