A total of 400 firefighters continue fighting Butte County’s Saddle Fire, which is now considered 70 percent contained. All evacuations have been lifted, all shelters closed and all roads have reopened.
The fire remains at 850 acres in size. The cause of the blaze has been traced to a vehicle with a faulty exhaust system. The fire at one time, came close to threatening the city of Paradise and its 25,000 residents.
Meanwhile, the much larger Gap Fire continues growing north of highway 96 in the Klamath National Forest. The fire, has burned through 31,000 acres since first reported 10 days ago. All evacuation advisories have been lifted, though a forest closure order remains in place. The fire’s cause remains under investigation.