Butte County

CA Wildfire | Camp Fire | 1

/ NW Fire Blog (TM)

11/8/2018 – THURSDAY – 2115  PST

INCIDENT SUMMARY

JARBO GAP, Calif. — A wildfire broke out on Thursday, November 8th at 0633 hours PST on Pulga Road at Camp Creek Road near Jarbo Gap in Butte County, California, from an unknown cause, says CAL FIRE.

RESOURCES

The fire is in Unified Command with CAL FIRE – Butte County Fire, Butte County Sheriff’s Office and Paradise Police Department.

There are a total 2289 fire personnel along with 303 fire engines, 59 crews, 11 helicopters, 24  bulldozers and 11 water tenders.

Getting Lidar scans earlier in the day. Photo Credit: SJSU Fire Weather Lab

Lidar Definition can be found here —> https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lidar.html

FIRE STATUS

The fire has burned 20,000 acres. There is a 0% containment status.

Firefighters continued to be challenged with extreme fire and weather conditions including strong winds and long-range spotting.

About 15,000 structures are currently under direct threat.

Fire weather is currently strong Santa Ana winds gusting to 50 mph combined with single digit RH which will bring expectation of increasing extremely critical fire weather conditions this evening and throughout Friday. (Source: NWS Los Angeles)

2111 PST:  Social media users posting.  Fire to impact 32 and reach Chico. Evac order just confirmed by CalFire for Canyon Oaks. Fire is also making a run at Magalia/Paradise Pines. Winds est. 35mph on peaks. Honeyrun Canyon area has burned as well.

1750 PST:  Many reports stating that hundreds of structures up to thousands have been destroyed in Paradise.  The town’s population of 27,000 residents have reported that many are injured and missing.   (Sources: News media, many outlets)

RESOURCES

Alameda County Fire

8 ACFD firefighters on CAL OES engines 8233 and 8235 are part of STrike team 2870C.  (Photo Credit:  ACFD)

CAL FIRE – Butte Unit / Butte County Fire Department

Fire resources were on-scene of this fire incident and pleaded with the Public to evacuate upon request and stated that this is very dangerous.  This photo (below) was taken on 11/82018 around 0900 PST.  Photo Credit: CAL FIRE

—> EVACUATIONS <—

Mandatory

Bruce Road to the east between Highway 32 and East 20th Street in Chico.  Posted 11/8/2018 @ 2113. (Source: News media)

Paradise, Magalia, Concow, Butte Creek Canyon and Butte Valley.

Both sides of Oro Chico Highway from Durham Dayton north to Estates Drive.  Posted 11/8/2018 1951 PST. (Source: Butte County Sheriff Office)

Area of Cherokee from Hwy 70 to the Lake, south to Table Mountain Blvd.  Posted 11/8/2018 1949 PST. (Source:  Butte County Sheriff Office)

The Evacuation Warning for Hwy 32 at Nople Avenue down to the Chico City Limits HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ORDER. This still does not include the City of Chico. Posted 11/8/2018 1830 PST. (Source Butte County Sheriff Office)

 Warnings

Forest Ranch.

Area west of 99 from 149 north to chico City limits, west to the Midway. Posted 11/8/2018 @ 1938 PST. (Source:  Butte County Sheriff Office)

—> ANIMAL RESCUE <—

NVADG, an animal rescue group.  Call to help rescue your pets.  Hotline –> 530-895-0000. (Source:  Social media poster)

—> SHELTERS <—

People

Church of the Nazarene, 2238 Monte Vista Ave, Oroville.  (Source: CAL FIRE)

The Chico Elks Lodge. 1705 Manzanita Avenue, Chico, CA 95926. Opened at 2030 hours PST.  (Source:  Butte County Sheriff Office)

Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds.  442 Franklin Avenue, Yuba City, CA. (Source:  Butte County CA)

Animals

Small Animal – County Hospital, 2279 Del Oro and Mono, Suite #E. (Source:  CAL FIRE)

Large Animal – Butte County Fairgrounds, 199 E Hazel St, Gridley, CA 95948. (Source: CAL FIRE)

—> NOTIFICATIONS <—

Shelter Full – The Neighborhood Church, 2801 Notre Dame Blvd, Chico, CA. (as of 11/8/2018 @  2018 PST)

—> CLOSURES <—

 Roadways 

Hwy 70 between Pentz Rd to Plumas County line.

Skyway

Highway 99 from 149/99 Junction to 9th ST.

Highway 191 and Pentz Road.

(Source:  CAL FIRE.  Updates –> http://www.dot.ca.gov/hg/roadinfo/Hourly

SOCIAL MEDIA

We will be providing updates as information is received.  You can also follow us on our Twitter page @nwfireblog for additional updates.

(c) 2018 NW FIRE BLOG 

BREAKING NEWS: CA’s Oroville Spillway Structural Integrity Breached

/ NW Fire Blog (TM)

Updated 2300 Hours PST

INCIDENT SUMMARY

The torrential rains have stopped but not the ill-will effects from the over abundance of it over the once drought-ridden State.

Too much of a good thing has this State reeling from the damage from flash flooding, land and mudslides to today where the secondary spillway at the Lake Oroville Dam has created a much bigger problem.  Too much water flowing quickly over the dam causing management to allow water to flow to a secondary spillway.

That does not sound all that too bad, does it?  It is actually frightening to know that the California Department of Water Resources is using the secondary spillway the first time in its 49-year history.  Due to the extreme fast rising water, it has exposed a breach in its construction and now it is about to fail.  This could spell catastrophic for those downriver, therefore we are today covering news about a mass evacuation in the City of Oroville and Palermo, California.

Courtesy: US Army Corps of Engineers

HAPPENING NOW….

Here is a compiled list of what is happening in each City and County in California.

Biggs (City of)

  • Evacuate NOW!

Butte (County of)

  • Evacuation Info (for residents):  Butte County Sheriff Office, 530-872-5951.
  • Hospital:  Oroville Hospital is NOT evacuating.
  • Shelter:  Alliance Church on Clark Road. For people and small animals.
  • Shelter:  Camelot Equestrian Park,1985 Clark Road. For people and large animals.
  • Staging:  Butte County college for both Fire/PD.
  • Update:  ButteSheriff: Not clear when residents will be allowed to return. Lake level still needs to be lowered to make area safe. (2214 PST)
  • Schools:  Due to the situation in Oroville, all Butte College Facilities will be closed tomorrow, 2-13. All classes are canceled. All Butte College Facilities are closed to students and employees. The Butte College bus service will not be running. The Butte County colleges will send out updates as they receive more information. Please call the Butte College Police Department if you have any questions at 530-895-2351

FACT:  “A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee  into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. “

OrovilleDam.jpg

Oroville Dam (R) and secondary spillway (L). Credit: CA DWR.

Chico (City of)

  • Red Cross Shelter:  Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, 2357 Fair Street, (small animals accepted).
  • Large Animal Shelter:  Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, 2357 Fair Street, Chico
  • Shelter:  Neighborhood Church of Chico, 2801 Notre Dame Blvd. (no animals inside).
  • Shelter:  St. Johns Episcopal Church, 2341 Floral Avenue, Chico (small animals accepted if leashed and crated).

Colusa (County of)

  • Shelter:  Colusa County Fairgrounds.  1303 10th Street.

Corning (City of)

  • Shelter:  Rolling Hils RV Park. (10 spaces left, can take large animals at equestrian center).

FACT:  “The Oroville Dam is the tallest and largest dam in the United States.”

Feather River

  • Fish Hatchery:  Massive water flows on the Feather River. Hatchery fish rescued and secure .

Glenn (County of)

  • Shelter:  Glenn County Fairgrounds, 221 E. Yolo St. Orland, CA (accepting livestock, no small animals, 40 RV sites).

Nevada (County of)

  • Shelter:  Nevada County Fairgrounds is currently sheltering 143 people. 150 people are waiting for a cot.

Orland (City of)

  • Shelter:  Glenn County Fairgrounds.  221 E Yolo Street.

FACT:    “Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy the dam. Except during flood periods, water does not normally flow over a spillway.”

Credit: CA DWR

Oroville

  • Hospital:  Oroville Hospital is open for emergency patients only. No one has been evacuated from the hospital. If not an emergency, go to another hospital.
  • (Emergency Peer Accommodation Matching Page):   http://opendoors.site/oroville-emergency-peer-accommodation-matching (NOTE: you will need to vet source before visiting/staying at another location. We are unfamiliar with this board.)
  • Road Closures:  SB 149 at 99, SB 70 at 149, EB 162 at 99, & 149 at Openshaw Rd. are all CLOSED. (CHP)
  •  Sheriff Office:  Assisting with mandatory evacuations.

Paradise (City of)

  • Shelter:  Elks Lodge  1100 Elks Lane – (no small animals accepted, RVs allowed in Parking Lot).

San Diego (City of)

  • Mutual Aid:  SD Swift Water Rescue team activated. Waiting for orders from state and will deploy to Butte Cty when directed to do so.

State

  • CA Dept. of Water Resources (DWR):  @ 1650 PST. Alert given to residents for mandatory evacuations Northward due to structure integrity of secondary spillway has some erosion and it was due to have an epic failure, cause mass flooding downstream.
  • CA OES:  EOC operations.
  • CA Dept. of Corrections (CA DOC):  Evacuation/transport of inmates to nearby other jail facilities.  (normally @ daily 548 inmates)
  • Manpower:  CA National Guard
  • State of Emergency:  Governor Brown Issues Emergency Order to Help Response.
  • Task Force:  Sacramento Fire personnel staffing swift water rescue equipment have departed for Oroville area, will be ready if needed.

FACT:  “Completed in 1968, it stands 770 feet (230 m) high with a crest length (top of the dam) 6,920 feet (2,110 m) long. “

Credit: CA DWR taken on 2/12/2017.

Ventura (County of)

  • Task Force (OES Swiftwater):  VCFD currently mobilizing for a deployment to #OrovilleEvacuations

ALERTS

Driving Instructions

  • Spillway due to fail any given time. Stay to the North towards Chico, California. (via DWR)
  • Southbound Highway 70 is being shutdown. PLEASE HEAD NORTH.

Flash Flood Warning

  • In effect until 1600 hours (4pm) on Monday, 2/13/2017
  • DWR needs to lower the lake level by another 50 feet to prepare for the incoming storms.

FOR EVACUEES

Willingness to Help

  • Assistance Offered:  If anyone knows of animal rescues or shelters needing help w/ evacuation, msg me.I can help rescue, feed, transport.I’m n Chico. (Twitter user:  Becki Brunelli @junglerat8)

Credit: CA DWR. Taken on 2/12/2017.

SOCIAL MEDIA

What is being Said:

  • Media:  Lake has gone down more than 4 inches in last hour, a foot in last three hours. (2200 hours Update)
  • Evacuations:  Unknown when mandatory evacuations will be lifted.
  • DWR:  Flows over the auxiliary spillway have ceased. 100,000 cfs continue down the main spillway. (2219 hours Update)

More updates will come as information is received. Another update is due to be published tomorrow evening.

#OrovilleDam #OrovilleEvacuations #SpillwayEvacuations #CA

(c) 2017 The #NWFireBlog