Firefighters have continued to make improvements in a wildfire in remote Nevada County in northern California, but officials warn the work is not over.
Brian Estes, head of Nevada-Yoba Plaster, California Department of Forests and Fire Protection, said Tuesday’s rice fire had increased by 10 percent to 904 acres by Wednesday night.
“We’re definitely a long way from being out of the woods, but we’ve made some significant progress,” Estes said.
The blaze, which feared it could endanger communities near Yuba County, burned overnight and early Wednesday morning as far as the Yuba River. But workers were able to prevent the fire from crossing the river, Estate said.
“The fire is 100% contained in Nevada County,” he said until Wednesday night.
At around 6 p.m., the firefighters said, “The fire was about 1,000 feet away from the bottom of the canal.” On the right, the workers were 150 feet below the river.
“It’s just an incredible effort to unleash some unforgivable and deceptive areas in our territory,” says Estes. “I cannot underestimate the efforts of all our Cal Fire Firefighters, our firefighters, our partner agencies and our regional agents.”
Firefighters are working on one of the deepest and deepest canals in northern California, exploring the area with “sharp corners and rocky outcrops,” Estes said.
“This can be especially dangerous at night,” he said. “We always try to get as straight to the fire line as possible. It’s the safest and most effective way to fight a fire, but there are places on this canyon.
In a nightly update, Cal Fire officials said five firefighters were injured. They did not specify the extent or extent of the damage.
Investigators determined that the fire started in the structure before it spread to plants in the area, Estes said. The fire caused the structure to be under investigation.
Authorities say only one structure has been destroyed, but there are certainly others. Earlier Wednesday, Cal Fire reported the destruction of four buildings.
“We know there is more, and from tonight and tomorrow our injury investigation teams will be exploring the area in detail,” Estes said.
After that survey, on Thursday afternoon or evening, the authorities will get more accurate information on the number of damaged or destroyed buildings.
“Tomorrow we have a big fire in our hands,” says Estes. Even if you do not see the plus and columns you have seen in the first 24 hours, then make sure there is plenty of fire under reverse.
Authorities hope to contain the blaze by Friday, but that could still change.
Nevada County Sheriff’s Office Captain Sam Brown said eviction orders have continued in four zones in Nevada County.
Officials said about 250 homes and about 300 people were affected by the order, Brown said.
Five more zones in Nevada County are being evacuated, he said.
A detailed map of the locations under the Release Order and Warning is posted at readynevadacounty.org/dashboard.
As of Wednesday, there were more than 700 workers assigned to the rice fire, Estate said. The workers planned to work all night.
