North Fire In Placer County Forces Evacuation Of 3 Camps

A rapidly growing wildfire in Placer County, Northern California, has forced evacuations of several homes and three camp, authorities said.

According to Placer County Sheriff Department, the blaze, dubbed the “North Fire,” grew to 650 acres by 8.30 p.m. Monday (11.30 p.m. EDT). Authorities said the wildfire was spreading quickly in the Tahoe National Forest near Emigrant Gap, situated about 70 miles north of Sacramento.

“We are evacuating the area and asking people to stay out of the area because Interstate 80 is already busy, and this is making it worse,” Lt. Andrew Scott, the spokesman for the Placer sheriff’s office told the Sacramento Bee. “If people are in Reno, they should probably stay there for a while or find an alternate route along (Highway) 50 to get home.”

“North Fork Campground, Onion Valley Campground and Tunnel Mills Campground on Texas Hill Road in Emigrant Gap are being evacuated,” Placer County Sheriff-Coroner-Marshal's Office tweeted. The North Fork Campground in Tahoe National Forest is located 78 miles northeast of Sacramento.

Officials later said Lake Valley Reservoir area was also getting evacuated. Tahoe National Forest public information officer Michael Woodbridge said no structures were threatened, reported CBS Sacramento.

The authorities asked people to avoid the area of Emigrant Gap and recommended against traveling on Interstate 80 due to the heavy traffic there. Eastbound off-ramp access on Interstate 80 at Emigrant Gap, Laing, and Yuba Gap were also closed due to the fire. The westbound off-ramp at Yuba Gap was also closed.

The traffic along the area was predicted to be high due to vacationers, including people who were attending the Burning Man Festival in Nevada during the holiday weekend.

Multiple respondents, including the Cal Fire, Placer County Sheriff Department arrived at the scene and were trying to control the fire. The region of the fire was a checkerboard of state and federal parkland, so the blaze was under the command of the U.S. Forest Service, but Cal Fire also sent resources, Cal Fire spokeswoman Mary Eldridge said.

Multiple spot fires were also detected around the area. The fire started around the North Fork Campground, south of Emigrant Gap at around 4.30 p.m. local time (7.30 p.m. EDT) on Monday. Placer County Sheriff’s Department aided in evacuating the surrounding camps next to the fire. No further details about the blaze, including the level of containment, were available at the moment.

U.S. Forest Service Tahoe National Forest said resources currently responding included 14 hand crews, 20 engines, five bulldozers, and five water tenders. They also said five helicopters and seven fixed-wing aircraft including a VLAT will be brought in at daylight.