Mudslides near Dixie Fire burn scar close nearly 50-mile stretch of California highway
A nearly 50-mile portion of Highway 70 in Butte and Plumas counties remained closed Monday due to mudslides and debris flow a day earlier, California traffic authorities said.
The highway was closed in both directions between Jarbo Gap in Butte County and the Greenville Wye at Highway 89 in Plumas County, according to Caltrans.
Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol’s Quincy office posted photos showing Highway 70 completely overrun with mud and debris. There was no estimated time of reopening, officials said.
Plumas County Search in Rescue in social media posts Sunday evening said it had to rescue “multiple” subjects stuck between mudslides near the Rock Creek area. Those motorists were located and escorted safely, the organization said.
The slides came as thunderstorms struck parts of Northern California on Sunday.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning due to “life-threatening” mudslide risk in burn scars from the Dixie Fire, last year’s 963,000-acre megafire that scorched parts of Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Shasta, and Tehama counties. The weather service said highways 70, 36 and 32 were at the greatest risk.
Mudslides closed the same stretch of Highway 70 late last year, starting Christmas weekend, amid heavy precipitation. The highway remained closed for several days.
Highway 32 is the main alternate route.
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 7:52 AM.
