[env-trinity] Trinity Journal: Weaverville fire news

[Tom Stokely]

http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_25bf3d78-2bef-11e4-97c3-0017a43b2370.html
Mandatory evacuations now "advisory"
Trinity Journal staff | Posted: Sunday, August 24, 2014 6:15 pm
Weaverville fire
A helicopter carries a full bucket of water north of Trinity High School Sunday evening.
Firefighters reported good progress on the Oregon fire that caused evacuations in Weaverville Sunday, and this morning all mandatory evacuations were changed to advisory, the Trinity County Sheriff's Office said.
The shelter at the First Baptist Church in Weaverville will remain open until further notice.
Only one structure has burned in the fire, a large metal shop building on Weaver Bally Road that was lost Sunday night.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but at a briefing this morning one of the firefighting supervisors described it as a "vehicle collision."
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Firefighters hope to block the Oregon fire that threatens Weaverville with a dozer line by Monday morning, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Dave Hotchkiss said.
"The wind let up which helped immensely," Hotchkiss said at approximately 10:30 p.m. Sunday. At that point he said the fire was about 10 percent contained, and with more equipment ordered he was "optimistic" the dozer line could be completed by morning.
With aggressive aircraft use, the fire was basically held in check just above the Weaverville Airport, he said.
"It's going better," he said, but added that the fire still has "a lot of potential... Weaverville was and is threatened."
Firefighters were attempting to determine if any structures had been lost.
Evacuations are still in effect.
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The Oregon fire north and west of Weaverville is now estimated at 650 acres.
The Trinity County Sheriff’s Office is issuing a mandatory fire evacuation for the following Weaverville areas:
Leslie Lane, Weaver Bally Road, Weaver Bally Estates, Fisher Price Lane, Ridge Road, Easter Avenue, Barbara Avenue, Garden Gulch, Browns Ranch Road, Squires Lane, East Weaver Creek Road, Airport Road, Brooks Lane and Squires Lane.
Additional mandatory evacuations as of 7:45 p.m. Sunday are as follows:
Kelso Street, Mulligan Street, Willow Avenue, Manzanita Street, Reservoir Road, Town Reservoir Road, Tom Bell Road, Angel Hill Road, Brashaw Road, Benoist Lane.
The Red Cross evacuation center is located at the Weaverville Elementary School.
The fire, which began Sunday afternoon, Aug. 24, is  headed toward the Weaverville Airport.
Highway 299 is open with a pilot car over Oregon Mountain.
On August 25, 2014 starting at 8:00AM, the Red Cross evacuation center will be moving to the Weaverville First Baptist Church located on Highway 299 across from Mountain View Rd.
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A wildfire west of Weaverville is causing evacuations.  A dispatcher said notifications are being made along Weaver Bally Road and Leslie Lane. Easter Avenue, Ridge and Barbara Ave. may be evacuated as well.
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