Quick reads — Bug Fire grows to 88,000 acres; two civilians burned
Bug Fire grows to 88,000 acres; two civilians burned
Firefighters are gaining ground on the Bug Fire burning along the California-Nevada border.
The fire started Saturday in southern Lassen County. As of this afternoon, it had burned more than 88,000 acres and was 15% contained.
Most of the fire has moved into Washoe County in Nevada, however winds generated by thunderstorms Wednesday briefly reversed its direction and drove it back into Lassen County and a small area in Plumas County.
Evacuation orders remained in effect in parts of Lassen County as of Thursday afternoon.
Officials with the Bureau of Land Management say moisture moving into the area may help dampen the fire, but hotter, drier weather is expected again next week.
A few spot fires caused by lightning were quickly extinguished Wednesday and thunderstorms are expected to remain active until Friday.
The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that two civilians suffered burns linked to the fire and were flown to the UC Davis Burn Center.
Officials say the Bug Fire was human-caused. No other details about the cause have been released.
Dry thunderstorms could spark new wildfires in the Sierra
Potentially dry thunderstorms continue to bring possible lightning and strong winds to the Sierra through Friday, increasing the risk of new wildfires.
The National Weather Service is forecasting thunderstorms in the Sierra, most likely south of Interstate 80 and above 5,000 feet.
Jeffrey Wood, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento, said it’s unclear how much rain the storms will bring. Monsoonal moisture could produce wetter storms, but some rain may evaporate before reaching the ground.
“We have the Fire Weather Watch out for the higher elevations due to the concern of potentially some dry lightning in some dry thunderstorms moving into the area,” Wood said.
Aside from dry lightning that can spark fires, thunderstorms can also produce strong winds that cause fires to spread quickly.
While most wildfires are caused by humans, some of the largest and most destructive fires in California have been sparked by lightning during major storm events.
Oroville residents question police use of Flock cameras
Weeks after Chico police came under scrutiny for sharing license plate reader data in violation of state law, another North State police department is addressing concerns about the technology.
Oroville police held a community meeting this week to address privacy concerns about the city’s Flock cameras.
City council records indicate Oroville has at least 50 cameras.
Community members questioned how police use them, including whether they can track people’s movements. KRCR reports some also wanted to know whether the cameras were mostly placed in minority and low-income areas.
Police say camera locations are based on calls for service, vehicle thefts and major entrances and exits around the city.
The department says it doesn’t use the cameras for GPS tracking or facial recognition.
Oroville police share camera data with 321 other California agencies and say they conduct weekly audits to prevent improper sharing.
Paradise native takes over as Butte County’s behavioral health director
Scott Kennelly retired as Butte County’s Behavioral Health Director this week after 26 years with the department. His last day was Tuesday.
Kennelly has been replaced by Dr. Tony Hobson, a longtime mental health administrator and psychologist who most recently served as Colusa County’s behavioral health director. Hobson also previously led behavioral health departments in Plumas, Sutter and Yuba counties, and has also worked for Butte County Behavioral Health.
According to a 2018 Plumas News article, Hobson is a Paradise native. The Washington Post reported that he lost his home there in the 2018 Camp Fire.
According to a Butte County Board of Supervisors agenda item, Hobson’s three-year contract began Monday.