Evacuations ordered in Northern California after lightning sparks 4 fires in Plumas County

Evacuation orders were issued Monday in Northern California as a group of four blazes ignited in Plumas County, with lightning suspected as the cause, authorities said.

Officials were battling a 30-acre trio of wildfires in the Plumas National Forest, dubbed the Mill, Mill 2 and Mill 3 fires, that broke out about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service.

The Plumas County Sheriff’s Office just after 4:30 p.m. called for residents in zones PLU-074, PLU-093, PLU-095, PLU-097, PLU-098, PLU-111 and POR-007 to evacuate, according to the county’s evacuation map. Several nearby zones were under evacuation warnings.

Deputies requested residents leave the area heading west to Quincy High School in Quincy.

The Smith Fire was burning north of Highway 70, near Smith Peak, according to Plumas National Forest officials. The four fires are also burning near Whitehawk Ranch, Gold Mountain, Clio and the south side of Portola, officials said.

“All 4 fires have potential to grow due to wind, slope and ongoing dry conditions where they are burning,” U.S. Forest Service officials said in a social media post.