A fast-moving wildfire that sparked Saturday afternoon in Dutch Flat has prompted mandatory evacuations in two Northern California counties.
The Dutch Fire sparked about 3:30 p.m. along Lowell Hill Road near the Dutch Flat Forebay’s dam in Nevada County and burned uncontained near the border with Placer County, according to Cal Fire’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer unit.
As firefighters responded on the ground and with aerial resources, authorities called for evacuations in both counties.
By 6:30 p.m., the fire had blazed along heavy timber and steep terrain at a dangerous rate of spread and reached 45 acres , according to Cal Fire. Spotting ahead of the fire was seen on infrared mapping provided by the FIRIS platform operated by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and Cal Fire.
“Cal Fire/Placer County Fire Department and multiple fire agencies from the surrounding area are battling the Dutch Fire in … Unified Command,” firefighters said as night-flying helicopters aided the efforts of more than 100 personnel on the ground.