Bear Fire: Some Sierra Brooks residents allowed to go home as firefighters begin containment
Parts of Sierra County are beginning to be repopulated Friday after firefighters made progress slowing the spread of the Bear Fire near Lake Tahoe.
As of Friday morning, the Bear Fire had blazed through 3,325 acres and was 15% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Officials said 881 fire personnel have been assigned to the fire, which is roughly 40 miles north of Truckee and 100 miles northeast of Sacramento.
Evacuation orders for the Sierra Brooks area were lifted at 4 p.m. Thursday, according to the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office. Residents of the small Sierra County community were allowed to enter the road closure at Smithneck Road and Highway 49 to return to their homes.
The fire was contained at Bear Valley Road, but officials urged residents to take caution as repopulation efforts continued.
“It remains crucial for residents to be prepared for potential evacuation if fire conditions worsen or if the Sierra Brooks community faces new threats,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Zones SIE-E031-A, SIE-E032-B, and SIE-E032-C were downgraded to evacuation warnings Thursday. Evacuation orders are still in place for zones SIE-E030, SIE-E031-B, SIE-E032-A, SIE-E058, SIE-E059 as of Friday morning.
During a Thursday night briefing, Tahoe National Forest officials announced they had successfully built a line around the fire that broke out Monday and did not anticipate it moving outward in the days ahead.
They said the area was “not out of the woods yet,” since some isolated pockets of heat were continuing to burn along the edges of the fire. However, improved weather conditions allowed fire crews to hike in and lay hose Thursday.
“We’re going to continue to do our due diligence, particularly over the next 72 hours to mop up and secure that fire and make sure it stays in its existing footprint,” officials said.
The U.S. Forest Service said the fire had remained in its current footprint overnight with help from aircraft assistance throughout the evening.
Crews are expected to continue the mop-up process Friday. Firefighters plan to put out any remaining hot spots, removing hazardous burned trees and assess logs that could create additional fire hazards, according to Forest Service officials.
Thunderstorms with potential lightning and wind hazards were forecast Friday. Rapid rates of fire spread could occur in the days ahead as gusts of dry, southwest winds up to 30 mph are expected through next week, according to the Forest Service.
The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation.
This story was originally published September 6, 2024 at 10:58 AM with the headline "Bear Fire: Some Sierra Brooks residents allowed to go home as firefighters begin containment."