The number of structures still threatened by the Wall Fire is now 606, down from the 5400 previously threatened. The fire that started Friday in Butte County north of Bangor has destroyed 41 homes with 3 other homes damaged and 57 other structures damaged or destroyed. Cal-Fire says fire activity has reduced significantly and the size of 5800 acres has not increased over the last 24 hours. The Wall Fire is now 60% contained. Damage inspection is complete and most evacuated residents know now whether their homes survived the inferno or not. A local assistance center has opened at Oroville Municipal Auditorium to inform residents of the damage and connect them with resources to deal with it. There’s a public information hotline at 538-7826. Thousands remain evacuated and almost 1700 people from various agencies are still working the fire. The cause is not yet known. Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for Butte County.
The Forest Service continues to monitor a fire in the Marble Mountains Wilderness that’s being allowed to run its course for now within certain parameters. The Island Fire was sparked by lightning two weeks ago in old growth mixed conifer forest about 14 miles west of Etna in an area with no large recorded fire history, but it’s surrounded on three sides by previous burns. The Island Fire is nearly a thousand acres with no containment. Growth of 150 to 300 acres a day is expected.