Sugar Fire Archives - Wildfire Today

Beckwourth Complex fire crosses Hwy. 395, burns structures in Doyle, California

Bill GabbertJuly 11, 2021July 11, 2021WildfireBeckwourth Complex, California, Sugar Fire10 Comments

The Sugar Fire grew by more than 25,000 acres Saturday

8:31 a.m. PDT July 11, 2021

California Map Sugar Fire Beckwourth Complex — Map of the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex. The white line was the perimeter at 2:03 a.m. PDT July 11, 2021. The yellow line was the perimeter approximately 24 hours before. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 2:18 a.m. PDT July 11, 2021.

The Sugar Fire, the only active fire in the Beckwourth Complex, ran to the east and northeast Saturday, crossing US Highway 395 in at least two places destroying structures in Doyle, California.

Videos shot by Craig Philpott showed multiple structures burning in the small town.

The fire spread northeast for about three miles in 24 hours, growing to more than 82,000 acres.

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

In a virtual community meeting Saturday night, Incident Commander Rocky Opliger said, “We’re looking at unprecedented early season extreme fire behavior…much earlier than we’ve experienced before.”

Highway 395 was closed at times Saturday north of Highway 70.

The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for the area through Tuesday. The weather forecast for Doyle, CA Sunday afternoon calls for 104 degrees, strong winds out of the southwest Sunday of 21 mph gusting at 32 mph, and 9 percent relative humidity. The wind will subside Sunday night but will increase Monday afternoon — 22 mph gusting out of the southwest at 34 mph with 9 percent RH.

These conditions will make it a challenge for firefighters to make much progress in suppressing the fire.

Satellite photo California Oregon smoke fires — Satellite photo showing smoke from fires in California and Oregon at 6:36 p.m. PDT July 10, 2021. NASA GOES-16.

Continue reading “Beckwourth Complex fire crosses Hwy. 395, burns structures in Doyle, California”

Beckwourth Complex spreads toward Highway 395

Bill GabbertJuly 9, 2021July 10, 2021WildfireBeckwourth Complex, California, Sugar Fire4 Comments

The Sugar Fire grew to over 54,000 acres

Updated 5:57 a.m. PDT July 10, 2021

Beckwourth Complex Sugar Fire California — Beckwourth Complex, Sugar Fire 12:59 a.m. July 10, 2021.

The Sugar Fire, the only active wildfire in the Beckwourth Complex of fires, spread rapidly Friday afternoon, exhibiting extreme fire behavior for hours as it ran to the east and northeast. Friday night on the east side it burned east out of the Plumas National Forest onto a narrow strip of the Lassen National Forest and then to the border of private land. Beyond that, the terrain and vegetation transition, where firefighters were confident they could slow or stop the spread using dozers and fire engines.

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

New mandatory immediate evacuations were ordered Friday afternoon. Details are on InciWeb and Facebook.

The Sugar Fire has burned approximately 54,400 acres.

The video below of the Sugar Fire was shot from the Chilcoot camera south of the fire, looking north-northwest during the afternoon of July 9, 2021. It compresses three hours of extreme fire behavior into six minutes. During the entire time, pyrocumulus clouds are being created and maintained. Extraordinary. A decade ago pyrocumulus were not common. Now they are almost ubiquitous on large fires.

Updated 5:29 p.m. PDT July 9, 2021

Beckwourth Complex of fires map — Beckwourth Complex of fires. The red dots represent heat detected by satellites at 1:24 p.m. PDT July 9, 2021. The white line was the perimeter at 9:24 p.m. PDT July 8, 2021.

We have an updated map (above) of the Sugar Fire showing data from a satellite overflight at 1:24 p.m. PDT July 9, 2021.

Continue reading “Beckwourth Complex spreads toward Highway 395”

Beckwourth Complex flares up, more evacuations ordered

Bill GabbertJuly 7, 2021July 10, 2021WildfireBeckwourth Complex, California, Dotta Fire, Sugar Fire

Northwest of Beckwourth, California

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”

Two wildfires burning near Portola, Calif.

Bill GabbertJuly 3, 2021July 10, 2021WildfireBeckwourth Complex, California, Dotta Fire, Sugar Fire6 Comments

Sugar and Dotta Fires

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.

Sugar Fire California — Sugar Fire, Friday evening, July 2. Photo by Plumas NF.

Smoky in Sierra Valley today. #SugarFire pic.twitter.com/ipbzoalLdR

— THAT Amber (@buriedbybooks) July 3, 2021

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