A fast-moving wildfire in Plumas and Lassen counties is now the largest wildfire of the year in California, nearly doubling in size within the past 24 hours.
The Beckwourth Complex Fire — which includes both the Dotta and Sugar Fires — has burned 89,748 acres, up from 55,000 acres on Saturday, the U.S. Forest Service reported.
As of Monday morning, it was 23 percent contained. It has burned about 134 square miles along the Nevada border, northwest of Lake Tahoe.
Fire crews gained containment along the south side of the fire on Sunday, and are preparing for extreme fire behavior on Monday, with dry, unstable southwest winds, gusting up to 30 mph. The north side of the fire remains the most active area, but the U.S. Forest Service is also warning drivers about possible spot fires and road closures on Highway 395, which was closed between Saturday and Sunday after the blaze jumped the highway near the town of Doyle in Lassen County.
The fire’s Operations Section Chief Jake Cagle told the Associated Press that structures had burned in Doyle, although he did not have an exact number. A damage assessment team has arrived to the area to “validate and assess” reports of damaged or destroyed structures, the U.S. Forest Service said.
Bob Prary, who manages the Buck-Inn Bar said he saw at least six houses destroyed on Saturday, the AP reported. The fire was smoldering Sunday in and around the town of about 600 people, but Prary feared some remote ranch properties were still in danger.
“It seems like the worst is over in town, but back on the mountainside the fire’s still going strong,” he said.
The complex fire is the combination of two blazes started by lightning. The Dotta Fire started on June 30 in the area of Dotta Canyon on the Beckwourth Ranger District of the Plumas National Forest. On July 2, the Sugar Fire erupted west of Sugarload Peak in the same national forest.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for all campgrounds and homes near Frenchman Lake and near Dixie Valley Road, plus all residences north of Highway 70 between Beckwourth-Genesee Road and the county line, according to the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office.
All mandatory evacuations remained in place as of Monday morning. Evacuation centers are set up at the Lassen County Fairgrounds in Susanville, Proctor R. Hugh High School in Reno and the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.