California wildfires have prompted evacuations of over 18,000 people; here’s where they are

Over 18,000 people have been evacuated as wildfires continue to burn throughout Northern California.

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said in a social media post that wildfire evacuations totaled 18,233 people as of 5 p.m. Thursday. The count increased by over 2,000 people in six hours when Cal OES released evacuation numbers at 9 a.m.

Evacuations are highest in Plumas County with 7,485 total residents. On Wednesday, the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning to residents as the Dixie Fire approached the town of Chester.

“If you remained you should evacuate to the EAST, IMMEDIATELY!” the Sheriff’s Office wrote in a social media post. “If you cannot evacuate and you are threatened by fire and can safely get there, take refuge at the Chester High School baseball field!”

The blaze also prompted evacuation orders in Lassen County with 2,100 total evacuees, Cal OES said.

Cal Fire has said the fire was driven by fierce winds and leveled parts of Greenville, a community of about 1,000 people. The blaze is also expanding to nearby counties with 119 evacuees in Butte and 100 evacuees in Tehama, Cal OES said.

Large thunderstorms have also sparked multiple blazes in Trinity and Shasta Counties. The McFarland Fire is burning on the border of Trinity and Shasta Counties, and the Monument Fire is burning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, south of Del Loma.

Around 500 people have had to evacuate in Trinity County, Cal OES said in their post.

Multiple areas of Siskiyou County are also under evacuation orders due to the lightning-caused River Complex fires and the Antelope Fire. Cal OES said 430 people have been evacuated in Siskiyou County as a result of these fires.

The River Fire, which started burning near the Bear River Campground, quickly grew Wednesday afternoon and has forced thousands of people to evacuate in Placer and Nevada Counties. Cal OES said 3,000 people have been evacuated in Placer and 4,298 have been evacuated in Nevada Thursday morning.

This story was originally published August 5, 2021 at 12:02 PM.