Sites Fire jumps in size as fire crews lose containment
(FOX40.COM) — The Sites Fire is now the second largest fire currently burning in California after it broke containment lines and jumped in acreage again.
Throughout much of Monday, fire crews on the ground and in the air were holding the Sites Fire burning in Colusa County to around 10,000 acres, but just after 10 p.m. that number climbed to more than 15,000 acres burned, according to CAL FIRE.
Along with the increasing size of the fire, the 15% containment that was achieved on Monday afternoon shrank back to 5% by nightfall.
Updated fire maps show that the Sites Fire spread further south towards the small community of Leesville and west towards Lodoga.
Wildfire Information
•Zonehaven, CAL FIRE and NIXLE: Websites you can use for wildfire information
•‘AlertCalifornia’ live cams to provide more insight into natural disasters
•These are the items to include in your emergency kit in case of a disaster
The fire is burning along the eastern base of the coastal range to the west of the proposed location of the Sites Reservoir.
According to CAL FIRE reports, the fire began just before 2:30 p.m. on Monday at 50 acres and within five hours blanketed an area of more than 4,400 acres.
Overnight Monday and into Tuesday morning, the Sites Fires more than doubled in size reaching 10,000 acres.
Communities in the area of the fire include Leesville, Lodoga and Stonyford.
Evacuation orders are in place for:
•Leesville Lodoga Road South to Leesville Road
•Leesville to Huffmaster Road
•Huffmaster Road to Maxwell Sites Road
•Leesville Road to Antelope Valley Ranch and North from Antelope Valley Ranch
•Sites Lodoga rd at Sites (has a hard road Closure)
Evacuation warnings have been issued for:
• South of Leesville Rd along Bear Valley Rd to Hwy 20
• Hwy 20 East to Leesville Rd
An evacuation shelter has been established at the Colusa Veterans Hall, 108 E Main Street in Colusa.
As of Tuesday evening, there are 638 personnel working on the fire and CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 4 is carrying out logistical operations of the fire attack.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
