River Fire forces residents in Nevada and Placer counties to evacuate

River fire forced thousands in Nevada and Placer counties to evacuate

River fire has burnt up to 2,400 acres and forced thousands of residents to evacuate.

COLFAX, Calif. - The River Fire in Placer County on Thursday had not grown that large, but was dangerous enough to force residents of a neighboring county to leave their homes.

The fire, which started near the Bear River Campground Road, had scorched 2,600 acres, but it prompted officials to mandate that residents in Nevada County, about an hour away, to evacuate immediately, Cal Fire officials said.

Residents on Mt. Howell Road, Ben Taylor Road, Rollins Lake Road, and in the city of Colfax in Placer County were also asked to evacuate.

The fire erupted Wednesday afternoon, according to Cal Fire.

As of Thursday evening, the fire is at 15% containment. 858 Cal Fire firefighters were employed and at least 76 structures destroyed.

The River Fire is just one of several fires throughout the state.

The Dixie Fire in Plumas County is now the sixth-largest in state history, devouring more than 361,000 acres.