Intense Winds Push Bear Fire Around Lake Oroville as Thousands Flee from the Flames
The Bear Fire/North Complex Fire intensified Tuesday night with fast-moving winds and has been pushed all the way to Lake Oroville as the communities of Oroville, Bangor and Kelly Ridge flee from the flames.
The Butte County Sheriff announced new evacuation orders early Wednesday morning, showing just how fast the fire spread overnight:
Here is a breakdown of the evacuations as of 4 am Wednesday:
Immediate evacuation orders:
- Kelly Ridge
- Copley Acres
- Cherokee Road at Highway 70 south to Thompson Flat Cemetery Road and all areas east to Lake Oroville.
- Berry Creek
- Brush Creek
- Clipper Mills
- Feather Falls
- Forbestown
- East of Miners Ranch Road at Highway 162 and Oro-Bangor Highway, which includes Bangor and part of the Mt. Ida area.
Evacuation warning:
- Highway 70 at Garden Dr., south to Lower Honcut Rd.
- Lower Honcut Rd. East to Bangor and everything East to the borders of the current immediate evacuation orders
- This includes Oroville, South Oroville and Palermo areas
While statistics of the size and destroyed structures have not been released, it seems the fire grew by 100,000 acres overnight, with multiple structures destroyed. Photos and videos show a night of intense flames in the Plumas National Forest and Butte County:
The #BearFire photographed from a dock on Lake Oroville, facing north at the end of Bidwell Canyon Road pic.twitter.com/6ZNAxqQJGX
— Dylan Bouscher (@DylanBouscher) September 9, 2020
#BearFire/#NorthComplex – Video from hwy 162 near loafer creek at 3am today @CALFIRE_ButteCo @CAL_FIRE pic.twitter.com/CxQVfePiCX
— Jason Andrew (@MrJasonAndrew) September 9, 2020
Intense winds fuel the #BearFire/#NorthComplex overnight, resulting in large ember casts like this one. pic.twitter.com/LRRe9HApxS
— Tyler Day (@itstylerday) September 9, 2020
#bearfire pic.twitter.com/kdY9BrfeF1
— Dylan Bouscher (@DylanBouscher) September 9, 2020
#BearFire [update] View from Oro Quincy Highway (Hwy 162) at Forbestown Road. Fire has crested the hill across the lake from here. pic.twitter.com/q8i8FvHWW7
— CAL FIRE Butte Unit/Butte County Fire Department (@CALFIRE_ButteCo) September 9, 2020
New evacuations have been issued near Oroville as the #BearFire explodes in size in the Plumas National Forest https://t.co/Ie3FVGjVH7 pic.twitter.com/EIX2ZdEgmx
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) September 9, 2020
The Red Flag Fire Warning continues through Wednesday, when winds are expected to die down around noon. We will continue to update the situation as more information is made available.