OROVILLE — Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea reported two additional deaths in the North Complex West Zone fires Sunday night, bringing the total to 14 since the start of the fires.
Honea was able to identify one victim Sunday, the first since the start of the fires after the victim’s family had been notified. Khawar Bhatt, 58, was found deceased at his home on Jatko Road in Berry Creek after a welfare check was conducted Thursday by the Sheriff’s Office.
Honea reported that 160 people have been found as his office has received 181 calls regarding missing persons at the North Complex West Zone fires. Seven people are still missing, though that number is down from the 13 reported Saturday. Honea said his office believes it has leads on all seven.
Honea said in Sunday night’s Cal Fire press briefing that the evacuation warning for most of the city of Oroville was lifted Sunday. This area includes Garden Drive to Table Mountain Boulevard to the canal that leads to the Feather River and up to the Oroville Dam as well as from the Oroville Dam down to Canyon Drive to Olive Highway to Oro Dam Boulevard to Highway 70 and Highway 70 to Garden Drive.
Honea referred to the Butte County Sheriff’s home page http://buttecounty.net/sheriffcoroner/ where a map is available of the current evacuation warnings and orders with the ability to type in one’s address to see the latest information.
The Sheriff’s Office added three evacuation warnings in three new areas and reduced an evacuation order to an evacuation warning in another Sunday morning.
A new evacuation warning went into place Sunday morning in the area west of Table Mountain to Highway 70, north of Garden Drive and the water canal in Oroville.
The Sheriff’s Office reduced the evacuation order to an evacuation warning in the area of Bangor from Forbestown Road south to Swedes Flat Road, and east of Miner’s Ranch Road to the county line.
Clear skies ahead?
Chief Meteorologist for Cal Fire Team 4 Dan Borsum said that southwest winds are expected to become noticeable by 10 a.m. Monday, and that should help push some smoke away and possibly clear sky enough to see sunshine midweek. The winds are coming from a storm in Oregon and Washington, Borsum said, and 8-12 mile per hour winds are expected, however, they could reach as high as 20 miles per hour.
Fire Behavior Analyst for Cal Fire Team 4 Jonathan Pangburn said that the clearing would enable fire activity; however, if skies clear enough it could enable air units to help build primary contingency lines. Borsum said that with no significant storm coming in the next two weeks, he would not be surprised to see smoke coverage in Butte County through the end of September.
Borsum added that a Red Flag Warning for a fire weather watch has been issued for Monday, and could extend into Tuesday as meteorologists continue to access fire activity in Monday’s winds.
The North Complex West Zone fires are now 74,200 acres and 18 percent containment as of Sunday evening, according to Cal Fire – Butte County. The fires grew by 200 acres Sunday while the containment grew by three percent. The total acreage of the lightning-started North Complex fires is now 261,488 acres and 26 percent containment since its start August 17.
There have now been 417 structures destroyed, including 253 residential structures, while 38 structures have been damaged. The structures include residential structures, commercial structures and structures of other types.
Cal Fire Operations Chief Ron Bravo said that the communities of Berry Creek, Brush Creek and Feather Falls have sustained significant damage and will take time for them to be repopulated. Bravo also mentioned that three years ago this fire would have been the largest in California history.
Bravo said that there was not much movement to the northwest area of the fires near Concow and Big Bend Sunday, however, the southwest winds coming could prove troublesome in the Big Bend area in early parts of the week. The Ponderosa area is presenting challenges as well as fires are pushing primary containment lines near the creek drainage.
Air quality still awful
As of 7 p.m. Sunday the Air Quality Index in both Chico and Oroville remained above 500, which is above the index listed on airnow.gov. With the air quality in this region, the website recommended that everyone should stay indoors and reduce activity levels.
Cal Fire Public Information Officer for Team 4 Chris Harvey said that if residents see yellow caution tape near their home when re-entering, this means that fire crews have inspected the home for safety and it is cleared to re-enter.
PG&E could not report updated power shutoff or power restoration updates Sunday morning, as they said they have not had authorization from Cal Fire for inspection and repairs in many areas.
Warnings, closures, shelters
As reported Saturday the evacuation warnings were lifted for the area of Palermo and Honcut south of Oroville Dam Boulevard, Olive Highway and Foothill Boulevard, west of Oro Bangor Highway to Bangor, La Porte Road from Bangor to Highway 70, and Highway 70 North to Feather River in Oroville.
The evacuation order for the Kelly Ridge area was reduced to an evacuation warning, meaning residents can return to their homes. The area from Canyon Drive East to Miners Ranch Road South to Oro Bangor Highway and the area west has been downgraded to an evacuation warning.
The areas east of Miners Ranch Road are still under evacuation order.
Miners Ranch Road and Foothill Boulevard are open to traffic.
East of Oro Bangor Highway from Miners Ranch Road to Los Verjeles is still under an evacuation order.
The Butte County Fairgrounds located at 199 E. Hazel St. in Gridley remains as the one evacuation point for fire evacuees.
Changes in the evacuations will be announced on the Butte County Sheriff’s Office website www.buttecounty.net/sheriffcoroner and Facebook page www.facebook.com/bcsonews and Butte County website www.buttecounty.net
No new road closures were reported Sunday morning, according to Cal Fire.
Road closures included Highway 162 at Miners Ranch Road, Miners Ranch Road at Mt. Ida and at Caroline Lane, Oro Bangor Highway at Rutherford Drive and Swedes Flat Road, Laport Road at Los Verjeles Road, Cherokee Road at Thompson Flat Road and Highway 70 at Cherokee Road and Big Bend Road.
The fire information line for Butte County is 538-7826.
A new animal shelter has been put in place for small animals at 521 Cal Oak Road. The hours at the Cal Oak location are currently 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
Large animals can still be taken at the Camelot Equestrian Park, 1985 Clark Road, Paradise, near Butte College.
Other information on animal sheltering is available from the North Valley Animal Disaster Group, 530-895-0000.
