Dutch Fire in Northern California reaches 45 acres, prompts evacuations in Nevada, Placer counties

A fast-moving wildfire that sparked Saturday afternoon in Dutch Flat has prompted mandatory evacuations in two Northern California counties.

The Dutch Fire sparked about 3:30 p.m. along Lowell Hill Road near the Dutch Flat Forebay’s dam in Nevada County and burned uncontained near the border with Placer County, according to Cal Fire’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer unit.

As firefighters responded on the ground and with aerial resources, authorities called for evacuations in both counties.

By 6:30 p.m., the fire had blazed along heavy timber and steep terrain at a dangerous rate of spread and reached 45 acres, according to Cal Fire. Spotting ahead of the fire was seen on infrared mapping provided by the FIRIS platform operated by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and Cal Fire.

“Cal Fire/Placer County Fire Department and multiple fire agencies from the surrounding area are battling the Dutch Fire in … Unified Command,” firefighters said as night-flying helicopters aided the efforts of more than 100 personnel on the ground.

“The heavily wooded area, steep terrain and remote location are making it challenging to contain the fire,” Cal Fire NEU officials said.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office ordered the mandatory evacuation of Zone 1 in most of Dutch Flat, a Placer community of nearly 200 residents nestled. The order came about 5 p.m. after deputies had issued evacuation warnings in the hills north of Interstate 80 on the road to Truckee and Lake Tahoe.

Dutch Flat No. 2 Forebay, which has a 77-foot high earthen dam and has been part of the NID Yuba-Bear Hydroelectric Project since the 1960s is about 1½ miles uphill of Dutch Flat.

Zone 1 includes homes in Alta and Monte Vista as well as the CHP’s Gold Run office, according to deputies, however Interstate 80 remains open in both directions, according to Caltrans.

A shelter has been set up at the Placer County Health and Human Services Center — 11434 B Ave., Auburn — with Red Cross assistance.

Mandatory evacuation were ordered on Lowell Hill from Dutch Flat Powerhouse to Mule Springs, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Warnings also were issued across zone E220, a strip of wildland dotted with homes north of the Bear River, which divides the counties.

Link to Placer County evacuation maps are available at bit.ly/dutch-placer-evac-2024; Nevada County’s evacuations are available on Genasys Project.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.