A fast-moving wildland fire near Lake of the Pines jolted Nevada County residents into evacuation mode Tuesday evening, as one zone was ordered to clear out immediately and a neighboring area was told to get ready to go. The blaze was burning near Highway 49 and Sharonjack Road, in foothills ringed with dry vegetation, and as of the latest updates, officials had not reported any injuries or structural damage.
The initial report from KCRA laid out the fire’s location and tracked the shifting evacuation directives as the incident unfolded. State officials said the fire was first reported at about 5:23 p.m. Tuesday.
Evacuation Order Hits One Zone, Warning Shadows Another
CAL FIRE has labeled the incident the Combie Fire and, in its latest Tuesday evening update, said it had grown to 7 acres with a dangerous rate of spread. The agency listed evacuation order zone NCO-E394 and evacuation warning zone NCO-E005, and said the cause of the fire remained under investigation.
An evacuation order signals an immediate threat to life and requires residents to leave right away. An evacuation warning flags a potential threat and urges people to be ready to move, which is especially critical for anyone who needs extra time to relocate pets, livestock, medications or other essentials.
Officials Urge Residents To Confirm Their Exact Zone
The Nevada County Office of Emergency Services is directing residents to a real-time, zone-based evacuation map and is listing 2-1-1 as a resource for information and assistance. The county is also steering people toward Nevada County Alerts, sheriff’s office updates and other verified local channels as evacuation boundaries shift.
Combie Fire Follows Earlier Rural Scare
The Combie Fire comes on the heels of the Kearney Fire near Smartsville, which earlier this month triggered its own mix of evacuation orders and warnings in rural Nevada County before crews stopped its forward progress. That earlier incident was detailed in a blaze that sent Nevada County scrambling to flee.
