LOYALTON, Calif. (KOLO) – The Elephant Fire started Saturday afternoon northeast of the town of Loyalton and spread quickly, U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Chris Buckley said.
Buckley said crews are facing several challenges as the fire burns into steep, rugged terrain—making it harder to contain.
“The fuels… are very, very dry, the terrain very extreme, very steep, and then we’ve had some winds,” Buckley said, adding weather conditions—including the potential for dry lightning—could also factor into fire activity.
Buckley said this isn’t the first major fire to burn in the area this decade.
“There was a similar fire here… in 2020,” he said. “It’s kind of burning along the same scar as that.”
The fire has burned more than 12,300 acres and is 5% contained as of Monday afternoon.
The fire is burning in Sierra, Plumas and Lassen counties. In Lassen County, evacuation warnings have been issued for the areas around the fire but mandatory evacuations have been dropped.
Residents are urged to monitor official updates and follow evacuation instructions from local emergency managers.
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