Fire crews in rural Sierra County are working to gain control of a wildfire they say was burning at a rapid rate.
U.S. Forest Service officials said the Elephant Fire, burning within the Tahoe National Forest, has burned at least 2,300 acres. It’s 5% contained as of Saturday evening.
The fire started Saturday afternoon to the east of the community of Loyalton, located within the Sierra Nevada mountains just west of the Sierra Valley. The fire has primarily burned in grass with some snags, brush and timber, and is burning within the 2020 Loyalton Fire scar.
The Sierra County Sheriff’s Office said there is no immediate threat to the communities of Sierra Brooks or Loyalton. The sheriff’s office said it’s continuing to monitor the fire and will issue notifications if evacuation warnings or other measures are needed.
However, there was an evacuation warning issued in rural southeastern Lassen County due to the fire.
Air and ground resources have responded to battle the fire, building bulldozer lines and dropping fire retardant and buckets of water.
Loyalton is about 140 miles northeast of Sacramento and about 44 miles northwest of Reno.
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