NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Four firefighters were injured on Sunday evening while working a fire in Nevada County.
The firefighters were injured on the Lowell fire, which began on Saturday west of Alta.
Cal Fire officials previously had reported that the fire had burned 4,000 acres, but on Sunday said that better mapping caused them to reduce the size estimate to 1,500 acres, with 15-percent containment.
The difficult-to-access fire made terrain-driven runs in the afternoon to evening, Cal Fire said.
The two Cal Fire firefighters and two US Forest Service firefighters were burned while fighting the fire and were airlifted to the UC Davis Medical Center's burn center, officials said.
Three of the firefighters – the two from Cal Fire and one from the US Forest Service – were expected to be treated and released on Sunday night, with the remaining US Forest Service firefighter was to be admitted to the hospital with serious burn injuries, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire said it activated one of its serious accident review teams to review the incident that led the injuries.
Resources assigned on Sunday to the Lowell fire included 1,111 fire personnel, 77 engines, 31 fire crews, five air tankers, 14 helicopters, 26 dozers and three water tenders, Cal Fire said.
The fire continues to threaten 1,800 homes in Nevada and Placer counties, with mandatory evacuations in nearby communities and an evacuation advisory in place for the Cascade Shores community. An evacuation center remains open at Nevada Union High School in Grass Valley.
The cause remains under investigation, with investigators no longer looking for a vehicle of interest seen in the area where the fire started.
The Lowell fire is expected to be fully contained on Aug. 1, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire also adjusted the acreage on the state's largest wildland fire incident currently, the Wragg fire in Napa and Solano counties, sparked on Wednesday afternoon near Lake Berryessa.
On Sunday Cal Fire rolled the size estimate back to 6,591 acres with 65-percent containment.
The fire is expected to be fully contained on Tuesday, Cal Fire said, with dozers and hand crews continuing to construct fire line in steep and rugged terrain.
Cal Fire said a damage inspection was completed. Officials found two outbuildings have been destroyed, with three outbuildings and one residence damaged. A water supply wellhead also was damaged, a walnut orchard sustained damage and two vehicles were destroyed.
Late Sunday approximately 1,410 firefighting personnel remained assigned to the incident, along with 100 fire engines, 34 fire crews, 10 helicopters, 11 dozers and 16 water tenders, Cal Fire said.
In other fire news around the state, the Queen fire – which began on Saturday southeast of Pecwan in Humboldt County – remained at 200 acres, with containment rising to 29 percent on Sunday, according to Cal Fire.
Also on Sunday, firefighters fully contained the 3-11 fire northeast of Bieber in Modoc County. Cal Fire said it burned a total of 116 acres since Thursday.
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STATE: Firefighters injured on Nevada County fire; containment rises on incidents around the state
- Elizabeth Larson
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