Update: Butte Fire Containment Climbs, All Roads Open

Update at 7:30pm: A productive day for firefighters battling the Butte Fire as contaiment grows and all residents were allowed to return to their homes with all road closures lifted. The blaze is now 72% contained with the acreage remaining at 70,760.  Tragically, the number of structures destroyed jumped to 545 homes and 356 outbuildings with 42 structures damaged. As firefighters gain more ground on the fire, resources continue to drop. Currently on scene there are 3,494 fire personnel, 274 engines, 34 water tenders, 92 hand crews, 22 dozers, 7 helicopters.

One important note, Cal Fire has changed the venue for its Amador County Community Meeting. Below is the new information along with the schedule for the Calaveras County meeting:

Amador County Community Meeting:

• Monday, September 21, 2015 at 7:00 P.M.
• The Call Church
• 18400 Ridge Road
• Pine Grove, CA 95665

Calaveras County Community Meeting:

Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 6:00 P.M.

• Bret Harte High School: Multi-Purpose room
• 323 S. Main Street
• Angels Camp, CA 95222

As reported this morning, all “Mandatory Evacuation” orders were lifted. Here are the last of the advisory evacuation notices still in place:

Evacuation Advisories:
1) All areas and roads inside the fire perimeter.
2) All areas and roads north of Calaveritas Road, Dogtown Road, San Domingo Road, and
Fullen Road.

Update 10:15am: Some welcome news on the Butte Fire as all residents are allowed to return to their homes in the Butte Fire. Cal Fire has lifted all “Mandatory Evacuation” orders switching them to advisory noticies.

Here is the latest evacuation information according to Cal Fire:

Mandatory Evacuation orders for the following have been changed to Evacuation Advisories:

1) El Dorado Trail east of East Murray Creek

2) Green Ranch Trail north of East Murray Creek

3) Fricot City Road at the ROP school, and at Fricot City Road at Sheep Ranch Road

Evacuations Advisories have been lifted in the following areas:

The remaining areas east of the fire, north of the intersection of Fricot City Road and Sheep Ranch Road

Original Post at 8:11am: an Andreas, CA: Overnight work on the Butte Fire brings the containment to 70% and firefighters continue to hold the acreage at 70,760.

As the Cal Fire Damage Team gets further into the fire footprint, sadly, more structures are being found destroyed, with the total now 535 homes and 347 outbuildings with 41 structures damaged. Cal Fire reports the fire behavior remained minimal during the night within the fire perimeter as crews continued to work on fire lines to further increase containment lines.

CAL Fire has released the following information about evacuations areas:

Evacuations: (Mountain Ranch Community):

1) El Dorado Trail east of East Murray Creek Road

2) Green Ranch Road north of East Murray Creek Road

3) Fricot City Road from the ROP school to Sheep Ranch Road

Evacuation Advisories:

1) All areas and roads inside the fire perimeter with the exceptions of the evacuation areas listed above

2) All areas and roads south of the fire to Calaveritas Road to Dogtown Road to San Domingo to Fullen Road

3) The areas and roads east of the fire, from areas north from the intersection of Sheep Ranch Road and Fricot City Road, areas north of the towns along the Hwy 4 corridor to Camp Connell (Towns of Murphy, Arnold, Dorrington are open), and areas south from Doe Road and Railroad Flat Road to the intersection of Mitchell Mill Road and Blue Mountain Road.

The San Andreas Unit of the CHP has released this list of road closures:

Green Ranch Rd is closed at E. Murray Creek
El Dorado Trail is closed at E. Murray Creek
Fricot City is closed from Sheep Ranch to Ponderosa Rd.
Fricot City closed from e/of Rite of Passage to Sheep Ranch Rd.

 

• Click here to read a rundown of Butte Fire stories from yesterday.
• For Continuing Butte Fire information read September 21st’s Butte fire news story here.