BUTTE COUNTY, CA (MPG) – Heat lightning from thunderstorms moving through the valley early this week have set off over 26 fires in the area. Evacuation warnings turned into orders in the matter of hours, affecting large areas of Oroville, reaching to downtown areas, Kelly Ridge and Cherokee. Residents have since been allowed to return to their homes.

At the time of this article, CalFire firefighters and volunteers in the area were working overtime to contain two separate incidents in and above the Oroville area: the Potters Fire and Butte Lightning Complex Fire, which was composed of 35 confirmed smaller fires.

CAL FIRE established a North Lightning Coordination Area (LCA) encompassing the Paradise and Forrest Ranch areas and a South LCA encompassing the Kelly Ridge and Oroville areas to address the smaller fires in remote locations that continued to pop up. Over 50 reports of fires have come in (not all confirmed), with new fires reported in the Butte Creek and Sterling City area. Containment of the largest, the Potters Fire, remains top priority with firefighters vigilantly monitoring the others.

Fire crews have been able to tie into the lake and are using pumping platforms as another option to fight the blaze, which has burned all the way down to the Oroville Dam spill way. The typical equipment used to contain a blaze, dozers, engines, water tenders and aerial support are also being utilized.

According to the CAL FIRE website, there are currently 24 active fire incidents across the state, many nowhere near contained and some comprised of multiple fires, straining resources.  At a briefing Tuesday morning, firefighting crews were told to expect working double or triple shifts, being pulled off one fire to be put on another, and that support and relief, although requested, may not arrive. CAL FIRE Butte Unit and Butte County Fire Department Chief, John Messina said to the somewhat small crew gathered for the briefing, “I want you to look around and look next to you….This is it. For 26 fires, about 1,500 acres…. And when we mean this is it…. THIS IS IT.” He was adamant that, “We’ll get through it” referring to a solid plan of attack established to contain the fire areas threatening communities and the public, adding that “the stuff that’s high in the elevations, those may burn for awhile before we can get to them.” He asked for crews to be patient and overall, to “Hold the line. We cannot give up anything we have held… it is essential that we do not let something get out that’s already contained.”

As of Wednesday morning, the Potters Fire had burned over 930 Acres and was 20% contained. The Butte Lightning Complex was 1500 acres (35 separate fires) and 10% contained.