Published Tuesday, June 18, 2024, 1910 hours PT

Photo Credit: ALERTCalifornia

The SITES FIRE is burning near Sites Lodoga Road and Wilson Creek, southeast of Stonyford in Colusa County, California, where it has burned about 15,565 acres and has a 15% containment status, says CAL FIRE Officials.

This crazy firestorm seems to be creating its own fire weather well above the fireline into the high elevations in the sky. The fire started on June 17, 2024, at 1339 hours PT from an unknown cause that is under investigation.

Currently, the fire has been carried by winds from the north at 10-20 mph with RH being very low. This, in turn, has caused poor conditions in creating unfavorable conditions for wildfires to begin, spot, and move swiftly as it is across unburned heavy fire fuels. There is a RED FLAG WARNING in effect.

Evacuations have been issued for Leesville Lodoga Road South to Leesville Road; Leesville to Huffmaster Road; Huffmaster Road to Maxwell Sites Road; Leesville Road to Antelope Valley Ranch; North from Antelope Valley Ranch to Sites Lodoga Road at Sites.

Evacuation Warnings have been issued for south of Leesville Road along Bear Valley Road to Hwy 20; and Hwy 20 east to Leesville Road.

A shelter has been established at the Coulusa Veterans Hall located at 108 East Main Street in Colusa, California.

A CAL FIRE IMT Type 4 took command of the management of this firestorm from the Sites Fire and Point Fire units on June 18, 2024. This is the first deployment in the Northern Region of California since the 2022 Electra Fire.

(c) 2024 NW Fire Blog