Containment Grows As Walker Fire In Plumas National Forest Scorches 74 Square Miles
PLUMAS NATIONAL FOREST (CBS SF) – The Walker Fire burning in northeastern California continued to grow Tuesday while containment increased, as the firefight in the Plumas National Forest entered its seventh day.
The U.S. Forest Service said as of Tuesday morning, the fire has scorched 47,340 acres (73.97 square miles,) an area more than 1.5 times the size of San Francisco. Containment is at 12 percent.
Nearly 1,100 firefighters from multiple states and agencies have been brought in to battle the Walker Fire, which started last Wednesday in an area 11 miles east of the community of Taylorsville. It is the largest wildfire to burn in California so far this year.
Officials said firefighters were able to contain several small spot fires overnight on the northeast side of the fire, while on the southeast side crews were able to construct containment lines and control spot fires. Containment lines have also been constructed on the west side and firefighters were able to hold lines in other areas of the blaze.
Showers and thunderstorms have been forecast in the area, which may produce gusty winds and change the direction of smoke.
According to the National Weather Service in Sacramento, smoke from the Walker fire may reach parts of the Central Valley by Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, dry and warmer conditions are expected to return later in the week, Forest Service officials said.
Forest Service officials said mandatory evacuation orders in some areas have been reduced to evacuation warnings. The latest evacuation info can be found here.
