Mandatory Evacuation Alert
Incident: Chips Wildfire
Released: 8/19/2012
As of 7:00 p.m. tonight, the Plumas County Sheriff's Office will initiate a Mandatory Evacuation of the communities of Canyon Dam and Big Meadows. Additionally, the Plumas County Sheriff's Office will escalate to a Voluntary Evacuation for the communities of Almanor and Pratville. West Almanor remains under Advisement.
Highway 89 will be closed with a hard closure from Butt Lake Road to the Hwy 89 / Old Haun Road intersection north of Greenville. Highway 147 from Canyon Dam to County Road A13 will be closed to through traffic. It will be open to residents only. Also, Old Haun Road will be closed to all traffic.
This change in evacuation status is due to a planned change in strategy for fighting the Chips Fire. The management team has planned an offensive approach to stopping the fire through implementing a series of burn out operations along pre-planned and prepared dozer lines. This will allow firefighters to 'fight fire with fire', reducing fuels between the main body of fire and the communities and infrastructure being protected. In order to provide for both firefighter and public safety during these activities, fire managers ask residents to please comply with the Sheriff's Department orders to evacuate. The Evacuation Center will be located at the Memorial Hall Center in Chester on Gay Street.
