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Camp Fire Causes Evacuations In Paradise, Fire Spreading Rapidly

Will Martin

This post is no longer being updated. You can find the latest information about the Camp Fire by clicking here.

As of 8:20 pm, Thursday, here is information we have on the #CampFire:

 

An evacuation order has been issued for the area of Cherokee from Highway 70 to the lake, and south to table mountain boulevard. 
 
An evacuation order has been issued for the area on both sides of Oro Chico Highway from Durham Dayton north to Estates Drive.  
 
An evacuation warning has been issued for the area west of 99, from 149 north to Chico City Limits, and west to the Midway.  
 
The evacuation shelter established at the Neighborhood Church in Chico is at capacity. The Chico Elks Lodge (1705 Manzanita Ave, Chico, CA 95926) is opening as a shelter for people evacuating the 
 
* The Evacuation Warning for Hwy 32 at Nople Avenue down to the Chico City Limits HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ORDER. This does not include the City of Chico.

* An evacuation warning has been issued for Hwy 32 at Nople Avenue UP TO the Butte County Line.
* An evacuation warning is in effect from Lower Paradise, down the Skyway, to the Chico City Limits

The fire had grown to something in excess of 18,000 acres by mid-afternoon and we can assume it’s well beyond that at this point.

According to Cal Fire Information Officer, Rick Carhart, the focus to this point has been on public safety and structure protection. Cal Fire is working on a containment plan and additional resources are coming into the area. Low humidity and gusty winds are forecast until 7:00 tomorrow morning.

Some media outlets are reporting that Feather River Hospital is a complete loss; however, we haven’t yet been able to independently confirm those reports. We do know that several of the buildings on the hospital campus were afire this afternoon.

At least hundreds of buildings have been destroyed in the Paradise area. Some early estimates are that that number may increase considerably. We don’t yet have reports of injuries or possible fatalities.

Communities immediately affected by the fire include Paradise, Magalia, Concow, Butte Creek Canyon and Butte Valley.

 

Update 2:43 p.m.

According to Cal Fire the Camp Fire is now more than 18,000 acres in size.

Update 2:09 p.m.

Evacuation orders have been issued to the Lower Clark, Lower Skyway and Nimshew Zones. 

Update 1:27 p.m.

Camp Fire has now engulfed 8,000 acres and is 0 percent contained according to Cal Fire Butte Unit and Butte County Fire Department. 

Update 12:08 p.m. 

New evacuation orders due to the Camp Fire have been issued for the area of Highway 70 from Concow South including all of Yankee Hill on both sides of 70, as well as for the area of Pentz and 70 South to 149 including Butte College. 

Update at 11:37 a.m. 

According to Butte County their website is down. They're asking people to follow their Facebook page and @ButteSheriff and @CALFIRE_ButteCo on Twitter for updates. 

Update at 11:35 a.m. 

Butte College’s main campus will be closed today and tonight due to current fire evacuations. The main campus is not threatened. Classes will still continue at the Chico Center, Skyway Center, and Glenn Center. Bus service to Paradise is discontinued due to road closures.

We’re getting reports that traffic is heavily jammed in Paradise as residents try to evacuate the city.

That latest evacuation orders issued were about an hour ago for the community of Centerville and the Butte Creek areas.

Cal Fire is urging residents to take evacuations seriously as this fire is very dangerous.

According to Cal Fire the Camp Fire is now more than 5,000 acres in size.

Update at 10:38 a.m. 

Traffic is jammed in Paradise as residents try to evacuate the city and nearby communities.   

The following evacuation zones are under evacuation order: 2, 6, 7, 13, South Pine, Old Magalia, South Coutelenc, Carnegie, North Pines Zone, North Fir Haven Zone, South Fir Haven Zone and Pentz Road in Paradise East to Highway 70, as well as the communities of Pulga, Concow, Centerville and areas near Butte Creek.

The following evacuation zones are under evacuation warning: Nimshew, Lower Clark, Lower Skyway, Lower Neal, Upper Honey Run, Zone 11 and Zone 12.

Click here for the full map of evacuation zones. 

Cal Fire is urging residents to take evacuations seriously, as this fire is very dangerous. 

Update at 9:53 a.m. 

Evacuation orders have been expanded to South Pine Zone, Old Magalia Zone and the South Coutelenc Zone in Paradise, according to the Butte County Sheriff. Click here for the full map of evacuation zones. 
 
Update at 9:32 a.m. 

A second evacuation shelter is being opened at 10 a.m. the Neighborhood Church in Chico, located at 2801 Notre Dame Blvd according to Butte County via Twitter. Small animals may be taken to the Old County Hospital, located in Suite E at 2279 Del Oro Ave and Mono Ave in Oroville. 

Update at 9:30 a.m. 

Heavy smoke is filling the skies above Butte and Glenn County this morning as a fire in Feather River Canyon grows quickly due to extremely dry conditions and high winds.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office has ordered the evacuation of Pulga, Concow and much of the City of Paradise.

The county’s 911 operations center reported being inundated with calls. The Sheriff’s Office has revised its evacuation orders for Paradise, limiting evacuations to fire evacuationzones 2, 6, 7 and 13. These areas are roughly areas bounded by Skyway and Pentz Road above Pearson, and in Lower Paradise between Clark and Pentz roads. Zones 11 and 12 are under an evacuation warning.

Pacific Gas & Electric Company has reportedly cut power to a wide area from Storrie in the Feather River Canyon to Concow to the Foreman Creek Recreation Area along Lake Oroville to Berry Creek to Brush Creek to Palmetto. Highway 70 is CLOSED to eastbound traffic at Pentz Road and to westbound traffic at the Greenville Wye due to wildfire. Clark Road and Skyway are still OPEN.

Reported just a few hours ago, the fire is rapidly becoming a significant threat as gusty winds fan the flames. The fire, is estimated to have reached 1,000 acres.

An evacuation shelter is open at Oroville Nazarene Church located at 2238 Monte Vista Avenue in Oroville.  

Update at 8:03 a.m. 

A small fire in the Feather River Canyon reported just a few hours ago, is rapidly becoming a significant threat as gusty winds fan the flames.

The fire, is estimated to have reached 200 acres and is spreading rapidly.  The town of Pulga has been placed under an evacuation order by Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea.

Cal Fire spokesman Rick Carhart said aerial attack units are on order, though firefighting aircraft typically aren’t available before 9 a.m. Carhart said the fire was burning in the vicinity of the Jarbo Gap near the Camp Creek Road and Highway 70, in an area difficult to access with few roads.

Today will be a serious test for firefighters as vegetation is extremely dry, humidity is very low, and dry, gusty winds, in excess of 40 miles per hour are expected. PG&E said yesterday it plans to preemptively cut electricity service.

According to PG&E four customers are without power in the Pulga area and 37 in the Paradise Pines area, which may be unrelated to the fire.

We're monitoring this fire and will bring you on-air updates and web updates as we receive more information.