PLUMAS, BUTTE AND YUBA COUNTIES, CA (MPG) – As of September 15^th, CALFIRE Team 4 reports that the North Complex West Zone, which encompasses fires previously burning as part of the North Lightning Complex and Bear Fires, to be at about 25% containment with 76,900 acres burned. That sum is just a portion of the North Complex Fire which has been broken into 3 zones: North Zone, South Zone and West Zone. The total acreage of all three zones burning is 269,358 acres at 32% containment.

CALFIRE reports that 23,346 structures have been threatened by the blaze with 706 confirmed destroyed and 50 damaged. There has been 1 first responder injury reported with 15 civilian fatalities confirmed as of the time of this article. Butte County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed and released the names of 7 of the victims of the North Complex West Zone as follows: John Butler, age 79 of Berry Creek; Sandra Butler, age 75 of Berry Creek; Jorge Hernandez-Juarez of Berry Creek; Philip  Rubel, age 68 of Berry Creek; Khawar Bhatti, age 58 of Berry Creek; Millicent Catarancuic, age 77 of Berry Creek and Josiah Williams, age 16 of Berry Creek.

Evacuation orders are still in effect for parts of Butte, Plumas, and Yuba Counties. For up to date information on those respective areas please visit: Butte County Sheriff’s Office at https://www.facebook.com/bcsonews ; Plumas County Sheriffs Office at https://www.facebook.com/plumascountysheriff, and Yuba County Sheriff’s Office at https://www.facebook.com/yubacountysheriff. For more information on the North Complex West Zone Fire please visit https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/18/north-complex-fire/.