California Wildfires: Evacuations Ordered in Plumas National Forest

Evacuation orders were issued in Northern California on Monday after four fires, believed to be caused by lightning, broke out in Plumas County, authorities said.

Officials were battling a 30-acre fire in the Plumas National Forest, dubbed the Mill, Mill 2 and Mill 3 fires, that broke out around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service said.

The Plumas County Sheriff’s Office urged residents in zones PLU-074, PLU-093, PLU-095, PLU-097, PLU-098, PLU-111 and POR-007 to evacuate, according to the county’s evacuation map. Several nearby zones were under evacuation warnings.

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Deputies asked residents to leave the area and head west to Quincy High School in Quincy.

The Smith Fire was burning north of Highway 70 near Smith Peak, Plumas National Forest officials said. The four fires were also burning near Whitehawk Ranch, Gold Mountain, Clio and the south side of Portola, officials said.

“All four fires have the potential to spread due to wind, slope and continued dry conditions where they are burning,” U.S. Forest Service officials said in a social media post.