Dotta Fire Archives - Wildfire Today

Updated at 7:11 p.m. PDT July 7, 2021

Map of the Beckwourth Complex. The white line was the perimeter the morning of July 6, 2021. The yellow line was the perimeter at 11:50 p.m. July 6. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 2:54 p.m. PDT July 7.

The Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex of fires, was very active Wednesday, spreading about 3.5 miles to the northeast in a 15 hour period.

Wednesday afternoon the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office ordered a mandatory evacuation for residents of Frenchman Lake Cove.

The Dotta Fire remained quiet.

On Wednesday the relative humidity dropped to 10 percent while the southwest wind gusted at 15 to 20 mph.

(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Dotta and Sugar Fires and the Beckwourth Complex of fires, including the most recent, click HERE.)

The weather forecast for Wednesday night calls for calmer winds but the RH will max out at only 34 percent. For Thursday the prediction is for 10 to 15 mph winds out of the southwest gusting at 23 to 25 mph, 10 percent RH, and a high temperature of 88 degrees. This weather, again, could lead to rapid fire spread toward the northeast. The wind will not be as strong on Friday.

Updated at 8:45 a.m. PDT July 7, 2021

Beckwourth Complex fire California map — Map of the Beckwourth Complex. The white line was the perimeter the morning of July 6, 2021. The yellow line was at 11:50 p.m. July 6.

A mapping flight Tuesday night at 11:50 determined that the Sugar Fire, one of two fires in the Beckwourth Complex six miles east of Portola, California, spread northeast for an additional 2,214 acres during the afternoon. During satellite overflights Wednesday morning at 3:30 and 7:46 it was still active, producing smoke that was blowing to the north but by dawn was drifting northeast.

The Sugar fire has burned 2,512 acres. The 553-acreDotta Fire has been quiet for several days.

The strong wind that spread the fire Tuesday afternoon gusting out of the west-northwest at 17 to 19 mph, decreased by 8 p.m and by 11 p.m. was only 1 to 4 mph while the relative humidity rose into the 50s overnight.

The Plumas National Forest posted the following at 8:30 Wednesday morning:

Continue reading “Beckwourth Complex flares up, more evacuations ordered”

9:30 a.m. PDT July 3, 2021

Dotta & Sugar Fires California — Dotta & Sugar Fires, as seen from the camera on Beckwourth Peak, looking northeast at 7:42 p.m. July 2, 2021. The fires were being pushed by strong outflow winds from a thunderstorm cell.

Two lightning-caused wildfires are burning near Portola and Beckwourth, California north of Highway 70. A Red Flag Warning will be in effect at 11 p.m. Saturday night for more lightning and strong winds.

(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Dotta and Sugar Fires and the Beckwourth Complex of fires, including the most recent, click HERE.)

Dotta & Sugar Fires map — Map showing the location of the Dotta & Sugar Fires detected by a satellite at 3:54 a.m. PDT July 3, 2021. The red dots are the most current.

Dotta Fire
The Dotta Fire was reported at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday June 30, seven miles northeast of Portola. As of Saturday morning it has burned 533 acres. Evacuation warnings are in effect. During the satellite overflight at 3:54 a.m. Saturday it was about a mile west of Dixie Valley Road.

Sugar Fire
The Sugar Fire started July 2, six miles east of Portola. It is very near the Plumas National Forest boundary, but the Forest has responsibility for suppression in that location, according to CAL FIRE. On Friday the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office evacuated several structures that were threatened. The latest report Saturday morning is that it has burned 250 acres.