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All evacuation orders lifted for Rices Fire in Nevada County

All evacuation orders lifted for Rices Fire in Nevada County
OPPONENTS QUESTIONING THE MEASURES CONSTITUTIONALITY. LISA: HUNDREDS OF FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUE TO FIGHT THE RICES FIRE IN NEVADA COUNTY. BUT YOU CAN SEE THE PROGRESS CREWS HAVE MADE OVER THE PAST 48 HOURS IS SIGNIFICANT. THIS WAS THE VIEW FROM LIVECOPTER3 ABOUT AN HOUR AGO. AS THEY CONTINUE TO MAKE WATER DROPS ON SOME HOTSPOTS, A PREEMPTIVE STRIKE IN SOME AREAS TO PROTECT SOME OF THE ELECTRICAL AND UTILITY POLES. THIS FIRE IS IN THE BIRCHVILLE AREA OF NORTH SAN JUAN IN NEVADA COUNTY. CREWS SAY SO FAR, THEY’VE KEPT IT FROM CROSSING THE YUBA RIVER AND SPREADING INTO YUBA COUNTY. WHICH WAS THEIR GOAL. TY: POSITIVE NEWS THERE. AT THE LAST UPDATE, CAL FIRE SAYS THIS FIRE HAS BURNED ABOUT 900 ACRES, AND IS 12% CONTAINED. 1 STRUCTURE HAS BEEN DESTROYED. LISA: THERE ARE STILL CHALLENGES WITH THIS FIRE, AND, EVACUATIONS ARE STILL IN PLACE. YOU CAN SEE THE EVACUATION ZONES REMAIN UNCHANGED FROM YESTERDAY. THOSE ZONES IN RED, INCLUDING THE COMMUNITIES OF FRENCH CORRAL AND BIRCHVILLE, ARE UNDER EVACUATION ORDERS. IN YELLOW, THOSE ARE EVACUATION WARNINGS. THAT INCLUDES THE TOWNS OF SEBASTOPOL AND NORTH SAN JUAN. TY: LET’S GO TO KCRA 3’S LYSEE MITRI HAS BEEN IN NEVADA COUNTY ALL DAY TODAY. LYSEE, YOU SPOKE WITH SOME FOLKS WHO ARE HOPING TO GO BACK HOME SOON. REPORTER: THEY ARE READY. WE ARE HERE ON TROOST TRAIL IN THE BRIDGEVILLE AREA. WHERE WE ARE NOT SEEING A LOT OF SMOKE. THAT’S GOOD NEWS. WE HAVE NOT SEEN A TON OF FIRE ACTIVITY. A LOT OF HELICOPTERS SO COMING BY AND MAKING THOSE WATER DROPS. OVERALL, PEOPLE WOULD TALK TO WHO HAD TO EVACUATE SAY THEY ARE ENCOURAGED BY WHAT THEY’VE SEEN AND BY THE PROGRESS THE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE MADE SO FAR. >> HE HEARS ME. REPORTER: THIS IS A FOR BETSY FIRST SONRISA, SINCE SHE EVACUATED FROM HER NORTH SAN JUAN HOME TWO DAYS AGO. >> I’M SORRY, I’M GONNA START CRYING. REPORTER: SHE STOPPED BY THE NEVADA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS IN GRASS VALLEY TODAY. >> YEAH I KNOW. I KNOW. REPORTER: FOR AN IMPORTANT REUNION. >> THIS IS DANNY. REPORTER: DANI HAS BEEN WITH HER FOR 13 YEARS. >> WELL, HE’S MY FAMILY. MY CHILDREN ARE GROWN. THESE ARE MY FAMILY. REPORTER: HE’S BEEN STAYING AT THE EMERGENCY ANIMAL SHELTER RUN BY VOLUNTEERS WITH THE NEVADA COUNTY VETERINARY DISASTER RESPONSE TEAM. >> THESE PEOPLE HERE ARE JUST AMAZING. THEY REALLY ARE. REPORTER: THEY MOBILIZED AFTER THE RICES FIRE SPARKED ON TUESDAY, JUST 2.5 WEEKS AFTER SONRISA SAYS, SHE MOVED BACK HOME TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FROM ARIZONA. >> CAME -- I CAME BACK KNOWING THAT WOULD’VE BEEN A POSSIBILITY. I JUST HAD HOPED IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NOT QUITE SO SOON. REPORTER: TODAY, SHE IS FEELING GOOD ABOUT THE PROGRESS FIRE CREWS HAVE BEEN MAKING. WORKING TO CONTAIN THE FIRE. HER HOUSE IS AN AREA UNDER AN EVACUATION WARNING, NOT AN ORDER, SO, SHE SAYS - >> AFTER I LEAVE HERE, I’M HEADED HOME. REPORTER: AS SHE GETS READY TO RETURN. SHE SAYS SHE FEELS RELIEVED. >> AND BLESSED. VERY BLESSED. THIS COMMUNITY IS PHENOMENAL. REPORTER: WE ARE EXPECTING MORE PEOPLE TO BE ALLOWED TO COME BACK HOME SOON AND SOME OF THOSE EVACUATION AREAS. WE ARE WAITING FOR AN UPDATE TO GET THE EXACT DETAILS ON WHO WILL BE ALLOWED IN AND WHEN IN A COUPLE HOURS. WE ARE WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE NEVADA COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE. WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED WHEN WE GET THE INFORMATION.
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All evacuation orders lifted for Rices Fire in Nevada County
The Rices Fire that prompted evacuations in Nevada County has charred about 904 acres and burned at least one structure, Cal Fire officials said Monday morning in an incident update. People began returning to their homes Thursday evening. The blaze is 65% contained with an expectation of full containment to happen by Tuesday, Cal Fire said. Containment is not a measure of how much of the fire is extinguished but rather how much of a perimeter around the fire is established to prevent it from spreading. Cal Fire said Monday that 13 structures were destroyed in the blaze. The Rices Fire started around 2 p.m. Tuesday near Rice's Crossing Road just north of the south fork of the Yuba River Drainage. "A young lady came by and said, 'Hey, it's time to move. You've got to get out,'" said Stephen Burton, whose family has lived in the area for twenty years and is now evacuated due to the fire. He said Wednesday he didn't know what state his home would be in once he was allowed to return with his family and their animals. "I just try not to think about it. It's best not to," he said, preparing to spend a second night at a temporary evacuation site in Nevada City.Hundreds of personnel are working on both the ground and air to halt the spread of the fire, said Brian Estes, a spokesperson for Cal Fire. As of Thursday night, 13 firefighters have suffered heat-related injuries, officials said.There was concern that the fire could get to the north part of the Yuba River Drainage, which then poses the threat of going into Yuba County. | VIDEO PLAYER BELOW | Cal Fire gives Wednesday evening update on Rices Fire This started as a fully involved structure that extended into vegetation. Fire crews are investigating what caused the structure fire. Cal Fire said they know there are more structures destroyed, but that it's unclear how many at this point. Inspection teams will go out on Thursday morning to investigate how many structures have been destroyed. LiveCopter 3 spotted a home fully engulfed around 5:13 p.m. Tuesday. While earlier fires so far this season have burned in grassy vegetation, this one has been setting trees on fire, which the Northern California region has not seen so far this year. That typically does not happen until later in the summer, according to Chief Meteorologist Mark Finan.Around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, a tree fell in a burnt area of Nevada County near KCRA 3's Orko Manna while he was in the middle of a live hit.The community of Bridgeport is about 14 miles away from Nevada City. All evacuations and road closures have been lifted, Cal Fire officials said Monday. See all evacuation orders and warnings below. App users, click here. Sign up for emergency alerts in Nevada County here.Related Video Below | Wildfire smoke picked up on radar| RELATED | 2022 Northern California wildfire resources: Where to find county evacuation info, maps, alerts and moreHow to minimize fire riskAcross the region, green fields have been turning to brown as grasses dry out. Grass fires will have the chance to spread quickly in conditions if a fire breaks out.Firefighters are urging people to be careful and make sure they have defensible space around their property. People should avoid using power equipment during this period and make sure to remove any chains hanging off their cars.Cal Fire is also suspending burn permits for outdoor residential burning starting on Monday, May 23. This affects Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, Sacramento and San Joaquin counties."We are experiencing drought conditions and extreme fire weather much earlier than usual for this time of year," Cal Fire's Amador-El Dorado division said. "Although debris burning is useful to reduce flammable vegetation, the conditions in the Amador-El Dorado Unit have reached the point where debris burning poses an unacceptable risk of starting a wildfire."KCRA's Fire Threat IndexKCRA 3’s weather team has developed a new tool the team will be using to keep you informed as fire conditions change. It’s called the Fire Threat Index. This will give you an idea of the fire risk on any given day in different areas of our coverage region so you can plan ahead.| MORE LIKE THIS | 2022 California Wildfire Preparedness Guide: What to know and how to stay safeLearn more about our fire threat index and other information to keep you and your loved ones safe by watching our “Wildfire Ready” special.

The Rices Fire that prompted evacuations in Nevada County has charred about 904 acres and burned at least one structure, Cal Fire officials said Monday morning in an incident update.

People began returning to their homes Thursday evening.

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The blaze is 65% contained with an expectation of full containment to happen by Tuesday, Cal Fire said. Containment is not a measure of how much of the fire is extinguished but rather how much of a perimeter around the fire is established to prevent it from spreading.

Cal Fire said Monday that 13 structures were destroyed in the blaze.

The Rices Fire started around 2 p.m. Tuesday near Rice's Crossing Road just north of the south fork of the Yuba River Drainage.

"A young lady came by and said, 'Hey, it's time to move. You've got to get out,'" said Stephen Burton, whose family has lived in the area for twenty years and is now evacuated due to the fire.

He said Wednesday he didn't know what state his home would be in once he was allowed to return with his family and their animals.

"I just try not to think about it. It's best not to," he said, preparing to spend a second night at a temporary evacuation site in Nevada City.

Hundreds of personnel are working on both the ground and air to halt the spread of the fire, said Brian Estes, a spokesperson for Cal Fire. As of Thursday night, 13 firefighters have suffered heat-related injuries, officials said.

There was concern that the fire could get to the north part of the Yuba River Drainage, which then poses the threat of going into Yuba County.

| VIDEO PLAYER BELOW | Cal Fire gives Wednesday evening update on Rices Fire

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This started as a fully involved structure that extended into vegetation. Fire crews are investigating what caused the structure fire.

Cal Fire said they know there are more structures destroyed, but that it's unclear how many at this point. Inspection teams will go out on Thursday morning to investigate how many structures have been destroyed.

LiveCopter 3 spotted a home fully engulfed around 5:13 p.m. Tuesday.

Rices Fire in Nevada County burns home
LiveCopter 3

While earlier fires so far this season have burned in grassy vegetation, this one has been setting trees on fire, which the Northern California region has not seen so far this year. That typically does not happen until later in the summer, according to Chief Meteorologist Mark Finan.

Around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, a tree fell in a burnt area of Nevada County near KCRA 3's Orko Manna while he was in the middle of a live hit.

The community of Bridgeport is about 14 miles away from Nevada City.

All evacuations and road closures have been lifted, Cal Fire officials said Monday.

See all evacuation orders and warnings below. App users, click here.

Sign up for emergency alerts in Nevada County here.

Related Video Below | Wildfire smoke picked up on radar


| RELATED | 2022 Northern California wildfire resources: Where to find county evacuation info, maps, alerts and more

How to minimize fire risk

Across the region, green fields have been turning to brown as grasses dry out. Grass fires will have the chance to spread quickly in conditions if a fire breaks out.

Firefighters are urging people to be careful and make sure they have defensible space around their property. People should avoid using power equipment during this period and make sure to remove any chains hanging off their cars.

Cal Fire is also suspending burn permits for outdoor residential burning starting on Monday, May 23. This affects Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, Sacramento and San Joaquin counties.

"We are experiencing drought conditions and extreme fire weather much earlier than usual for this time of year," Cal Fire's Amador-El Dorado division said. "Although debris burning is useful to reduce flammable vegetation, the conditions in the Amador-El Dorado Unit have reached the point where debris burning poses an unacceptable risk of starting a wildfire."

KCRA's Fire Threat Index

KCRA 3’s weather team has developed a new tool the team will be using to keep you informed as fire conditions change. It’s called the Fire Threat Index. This will give you an idea of the fire risk on any given day in different areas of our coverage region so you can plan ahead.

| MORE LIKE THIS | 2022 California Wildfire Preparedness Guide: What to know and how to stay safe


Learn more about our fire threat index and other information to keep you and your loved ones safe by watching our “Wildfire Ready” special.