Dixie Fire burns through Northern California, leveling businesses

GREENVILLE, Calif. (AP) —The Dixie Fire tore through Greenville on Wednesday evening, destroying businesses and homes as the sky was cast in an orange glow. As of 9 p.m., Lassen County Sheriff's Office issued new Evacuation Orders and Warnings.

Cal Fire in Butte County issued a Red Flag Warning at 1 p.m. as 35 mph winds created extreme fire conditions near the Dixie Fire. According to their report, the fire has crossed over control lines in the Round Valley drainage and firefighters are protecting structures in Greenville as aircrafts are working to support efforts where visibility permits.

West of the dixie fire focused on nearby communities and the Lake Almanor areas. Operations focused on defending residential structures, mopping up areas of concern, strengthening existing control lines and focusing on multiple contingency lines north of the fire.

Plumas County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook, telling Greenville residents to evacuate, saying they were in "imminent danger."

U.S. Forest Service at Plumas National Forest shared an update on the fire's progression and their plan to tackle the fire. Operation Sections Chief Jake Cagle said there was no threat to Greenville until around 4 p.m. when the fire slipped through the road system and entered the city. It's currently in life-threat mode as several people haven't evacuated on time.

"Right now we can't protect the structures, because we're trying to keep people out here here," Cagle said. "A lot of people chose to stay here. This is a problem that we're having. These are not the normal fires anymore."

The Dixie Fire has been burning in Northern California since the fire was sparked on July 13. The fire burened through 278,227 acres and is currently 35% contained. There have been no reported fatalities or injuries, but 45 structures were destroyed.

#DixieFire (Plumas-Butte Co) - CHP CAD + @bclemms also mentioning fire has jumped Hwy 89 north of Lake Almanor West, also mentions no personnel to go east past St Bernards Lodge on Hwy 36 at this time. https://t.co/2ipeZeP3KA

— CA Fire Scanner (@CAFireScanner) August 4, 2021