The entire west shore of Lake Almanor under evacuation orders as the Dixie Fire continues to explode in size. The east shore of Lake Almanor is under an evacuation warning, including the Town of Chester. The Dixie Fire has nearly 104,00 acres, but containment is now 17%. The fire grew by over 12,000 acres overnight. The steep terrain is challenging firefighters as the fire tears up the hillsides and burning material rolls down. The fire may have been started by PG&E equipment on July 13th. Huge Pyrocumulous clouds continue to form every day, then when the column can no longer sustain the weight it collapses, creating extremely hazardous conditions for firefighters on the ground and in the air. The fire was expected to remain very active overnight, as 25 mile an hour gusts were forecast. 1500 structures are threatened and 8 have been confirmed destroyed. A vast area is under evacuation orders and warnings, coordinated by the Butte, Plumas and Lassen County Sheriff’s Departments. A number of roads are closed, including long stretches of Highways 70 and 89. The Dixie Fire is under unified command by both Cal-Fire and the U.S. Forest Service.
A fire in the Plumas National Forest is nearly defeated. The lighting-sparked Sugar Fire and Dotta Fire make up the Beckwourth Complex, which has grown just slightly to 105,670 acres, now with 96% containment.