Incident Update River Fire

Date:
08/07/2021
Time:
7:09 PM

Information Line: 211

Media Line: (530) 906-1563

Incident Facts

Name
River Fire
Start Date/Time
2021-08-04
Incident Status
Active
Location
Milk Ranch Road and Bear River Campground Road, north of Applegate
Type
Wildfire
Cause
Counties
Nevada, Placer
Administration Unit
CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit
Unified Command Agency(s)
Size
2,600
Containment
56%
Structures Threatened
2,314
Structures Destroyed
68
Structures Damaged
20
Civilian Injuries
2
Firefighter Injuries
1
Civilian Fatalities
Firefighter Fatalities

Current Situation

Situation Summary

Current Situation:

Firefighters continued to build and improve containment line on the River Fire today and prevented it from increasing in acreage. The fire remains at 2,600 acres and
containment has increased to 56%. Many areas outside of the fire perimeter have had evacuation orders lifted. Damage inspection teams continue working in conjunction with the Nevada County and Placer County building departments and environmental health department.

A large number of hazard trees exist within the fire perimeter. Removal of the hazardous trees and infrastructure repair continues as a priority to create a safe environment within the fire area to allow remaining evacuation orders to be removed.

Heavy smoke from the Dixie Fire persists over the fire which is limiting the use of air resources. However, ground resources and crews will continue tactical patrol around
all areas of the fire while mopping up remaining hot spots.

As the public starts to repopulate, please remain vigilant and watch for fire crews and utility resources on roadways. For more information on what to expect and look for after a wildfire, go to https://www.readyforwildfire.org/post-wildfire/after-a-wildfire/

 

Evacuation Orders:

Placer County:

  • Zone 1 : Evacuation Order-RMilk Ranch Road to Spring Valley Road to include the west side of Spring Valley from Milk Ranch Road to Campbell Creek Place and West to the Bear River. Ben Taylor and every street West of Sunray Lane to the Bear River.
  • Zone 2 : Evacuation Order-White Oak from Hwy 174, West to the Bear River.

A message from Placer County Water Agency (PCWA): Upon return of water service for customers in the Colfax area, if the water looks cloudy or dirty, do not drink it. Let the hot and cold water lines run until the water appears clear. If you are experiencing water pressure issues, please contact customer services at (530) 823-4850. As PCWA continues to assist firefighting efforts, please be mindful of your water use to ensure firefighting personnel have access to essential water supplies when necessary.

Nevada County:

Check https://community.zonehaven.com/ to see the specific information for the status of the remaining evacuation zones in Nevada County.

Several roadblocks near the River Fire have changed affecting Zones NCO-E102-A and NCO-E103-C, allowing more residents to return home.

  • Aspen Gold Drive and both Silver Leaf Drives remain CLOSED at this point, but areas West of those are now OPEN.
  • Mount Olive Road is now OPEN to through traffic.
  • Taylor Crossing Road, Clydesdale Road, Mountain Lion Road, Last Mile Drive, Deer Hollow Way, Ladera Way and Meyer Road all remain CLOSED.

Evacuation Warnings:

All Evacuation Warnings have been lifted in both Nevada and Placer Counties.


Evacuation Centers:

Placer County: Regional Park Gymnasium, 3770 Richardson Dr, Auburn

Nevada County: Bear River High School, 11130 Magnolia Rd, Grass Valley

 

Road Closures:

Animal Evacuation Centers 

Placer County: Placer County Animal Services Center: 11232 B Avenue Auburn, CA 95603

Nevada County: Nevada County Fairgrounds (animals only), 11228 McCourtney Rd, Grass Valley, CA 95949 is an animal shelter

Assigned Resources

Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow.