Fires

Firefighters rush to tackle 35-acre wildfire near Sugar Pine Reservoir: ‘We’ve got a north wind’

The Sugar Fire burning in the Tahoe National Forest in Placer County. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said it is assisting U.S. Forest Service officials with the fire that started Friday, May 10, 2019.
The Sugar Fire burning in the Tahoe National Forest in Placer County. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said it is assisting U.S. Forest Service officials with the fire that started Friday, May 10, 2019. Cal Fire

A small wildfire is underway at Sugar Pine Road and Big Reservoir Lane, about five miles northeast of Foresthill in Placer County, according to a Cal Fire tweet Friday afternoon.

UPDATE: Containment for 64-acre wildfire

Sugar Pine Road is currently closed, officials said, and visitors are being asked to avoid the area.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and Foresthill Fire Protection District are assisting U.S. Forest Service officials with the Sugar Fire, said Joe Flannery, a spokesman for the Tahoe National Forest.

By 5:30 p.m., the fire had burned 25 to 35 acres with more than 100 personnel responding, Flannery said.

The personnel included four hand crews, six engines, two helicopters, two water tenders, a bulldozer, Flannery said. Three air tankers that were performing fire retardant drops during the afternoon had been dismissed.

Crews will be doing fire containment through the night, Flannery said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The fire started at 12:38 p.m. Friday, said Mary Eldridge, a Cal Fire spokeswoman.

“We’ve got a north wind so every resource available is heading out there,” Eldridge said at about 3 p.m. Friday.

The fire is located two miles southeast of Sugar Pine Reservoir and the Forbes Creek campground and about 10 miles east of Colfax.

This is the first wildfire in the four-county Sacramento region this year. There have been several other small wildfires in Butte County.




This story was originally published May 10, 2019 at 2:59 PM with the headline "Firefighters rush to tackle 35-acre wildfire near Sugar Pine Reservoir: ‘We’ve got a north wind’."

Theresa Clift
The Sacramento Bee
Theresa Clift is the Regional Watchdog Reporter for The Sacramento Bee. She covered Sacramento City Hall for The Bee from 2018 through 2024. Before joining The Bee, she worked for newspapers in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. She grew up in Michigan and graduated with a journalism degree from Central Michigan University.
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