This is the biggest wildfire in California right now
30 June 2022
Published by: https://www.sfgate.com
USA – The Rices Fire exploded in Nevada County, 150 miles northeast of San Francisco, on Tuesday afternoon, and quickly became the largest California wildfirecurrently burning. There are nearly 700 personnel, 80 fire engines and 11 dozers assigned to the blaze, Cal Fire said in its Wednesday incident report. Numerous aircraft are putting out flames when weather conditions allow. The Rices Fire has burned more than 900 acres as of Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s the biggest fire of concern in California right now,” said Christine Morrow, a spokesperson for Cal Fire.
The fire ignited at Rices Crossing and Cranston roads, just south of the small town of Dobbins (pop. 150), amid hot, windy weather. Flames have destroyed four structures with another 520 threatened, Cal Fire said.
The communities of Birchville, Sweetland, French Corral, Bridgeport, Rice’s Crossing and the Buttermilk are all under mandatory evacuation orders, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said. The communities of Sebastopol, North San Juan, New School, Robinson, Greater Tyler Foote, northern Purdon Road, Millhouse, Montezuma and Central Purdon are among those areas under evacuation warnings. You can find the latest evacuation information at ZoneHaven.
In a Wednesday afternoon press conference, Cal Fire Chief Brian Estes said the fire boundary was 100% within Nevada County. The blaze has not jumped the Yuba River and into Yuba County, though contingency operations are in place on the other side of the river if flames cross it.
“One of our biggest concerns was it working its way down and potentially spot firing over the Yuba River and affecting the communities across the river,” Estes said. “The positive news is that due to very strong suppression efforts overnight, and the fire’s progression under moderate conditions, the fire in two different places is back all the way down to the Yuba River without spotting over the Yuba River itself. That’s a good thing.”
Estes said the last time the area saw a significant fire was 2009. The Rices Fire ignited at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and was 520 acres with zero containment by nightfall.
“It is burning in dormant brush, hardwood slash and brush,” Cal Fire said in its Wednesday morning incident report. “Steep and rugged terrain, critically dry and receptive fuel beds, active area for fire history and drought stressed trees are leading to the observed fire behavior.”
Winds calmed overnight and favorable weather conditions continued into Wednesday morning, but winds are expected to pick up at throughout the afternoon and persist until the sun goes down. “We’re heading into that critical period again,” Estes said.
Birchville Road at Highway 49 and Pleasant Valley Road at Bridgeport are closed.
Get updates on the fire from Cal Fire’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit.
This is a developing story and updates will be added as they become available.
