BUTTE COUNTY, CA (MPG) - An apocalyptic scene began to play out Tuesday afternoon as the Bear Fire gained steam, tearing through mountain communities, shrouding the valley in black smoke and raining down thick layers of ash.

Part of the North Lightning Complex fires burning above Oroville since late August when a lighting storm passed through the state, the Bear Fire flared up around 10 am Tuesday morning due to high winds. The fire continued to spread rapidly, following the north fork of the Feather River over towards the Berry Creek area burning 1,000 acres every 30 minutes. 

Since then, the fast moving blaze has more than doubled in size, threatening multiple communities in a wide area shaped almost like a diamond. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for 3 counties: Butte, Plumas and Yuba, with orders spanning from Strawberry Valley in the East, Pulga to the north, parts of Oroville, and Bangor to the south. Evacuation warnings stretch to and along Hwy 70 as far south as Loma Rica Rd, just east of Gridley. 

CALFIRE's Rick Carhart told Action News Now that aerial strikes to combat the blaze were not possible due to unsafe conditions caused by high winds and low visibility from dense smoke. The forecast calls for continued winds, with gusts as high as 50mph in some areas, which is expected to further complicate containment efforts. 

Reports are circulating that Fire Station 62 in Berry Creek has been serving as a triage center, receiving burn victims and survivors awaiting transport out of the area for safety.

Once again, Gridley’s fairgrounds have become the home of a temporary evacuation center for those fleeing the blaze and Red Cross is onsite. Officials warn resources could become strained due to COVID19 and are urging evacuees to reach out to friends and family for accommodations. Additionally, due to COVID precautions, evacuees are asked to remain in their vehicles until members of the Red Cross or volunteers approach them for further instructions.