July 31: Dixie Fire some structures threatened; some evacuations lifted
No change was reported this morning, July 31, on the amount of acreage that has burned on the Dixie Fire, which is now the 11th largest in state history. The fire is still reported at 240,795 acres; and 24 percent contained. Last night Operations Section Chief for the West Zone Mike Wink said that today’s maps would show increased containment, but that is not reflected in the official numbers released this morning.
There have been 44 structures and 22 outbuildings destroyed.
This morning the Plumas County Sheriff announced a number of changes in the Almanor Basin. The Mandatory Evacuation Order along the East Shore of Lake Almanor has been reduced to a warning. Canyon Dam is still under a Mandatory Evacuation Order.
The Mandatory Evacuation Order for the Lake Almanor West community has been reduced to a warning.
MODIFIED: Everything west Hwy 89/36 Junction, west to the County Line along the southside of Hwy 36 and south of Hwy 36 to Rock Lake and west to the County Line has been modified to a warning. Everything south of this zone remains in a Mandatory Evacuation Order.
The evacuation warning for Chester, the Lake Almanor Peninsula and Hamilton Branch has been lifted.
Please do not call the dispatch center with any questions. Please use this MAP LINK: https://tinyurl.com/ydrapp24
Also this morning the Butte County Sheriff’s Office lifted the evacuation warning for Pulga and Concow, a sign that improvement is being made on the fire, but the evacuation orders for Butte Meadows, Jonesville, Philbrook remain in effect.
West Zone
Fire behavior is expected to increase due to drying conditions today. Fire continues to move toward control lines burning unburned interior islands and ridges. No growth is expected on the West Zone, but interior islands will continue to burn as planned. Unstable conditions will continue each afternoon with the potential for large column growth over areas of intense heat. Crews continue to provide structure defense in communities at risk, construct direct and indirect line to secure the fire perimeter, and contingency lines in both zones.
East Zone
Smoke settled in the lower elevations once again with scattered showers bringing higher humidity and limiting the overnight burn window. Crews will continue to strengthen the fire line protecting homes and structures along Rush Creek Road, where the fire burned into the 2012 Chips Fire burn scar in the Red Hill area between State Route 70 and Muggins Creek.
From Dark Ravine to Round Valley Reservoir, crews guided fire to more level terrain, where it could more easily be fought. Containment line is holding along Emigrant Road above Taylorsville and night back burning has been completed from Mt. Hough south to Quincy.
Containment also continues to hold from Keddie west to Butterfly Valley, Hambly Ravine, and Bean Hill as crews are mopping up and patrolling for hotspots.
Crews have spent several days laying hoses, setting sprinklers and cutting line to do a slow, low intensity strategic tactical firing operation on roughly 1,500 acres in the Bucks Lake Wilderness Area from Bean Hill south to Meadow Valley, when weather allows. Hotshot crews have been camped out near the fire or “spiked out” cutting hand line as a buffer from Jacks Meadow to Silver Lake. Secured fire line from Bucks Lake west to State Route 70 is anchored into containment from the West Zone.
The East Zone has also created line around the Evans Fire, which is now reported at 50 acres.
