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Fire, safety, Water, Wildlife

Evacuations Ordered in Foresthill Area

Several agencies are fighting the Robbers Fire in Placer County near Foresthill. The fire is burning in dense forest near homes, and evacuations have been ordered. The 200-acre blaze is 20 percent contained as of late Wednesday.

FORESTHILL EVACUATION SHELTER TO REMAIN OPEN THROUGH NIGHT BECAUSE OF ROBBERS FIRE, BUT COLFAX EVACUATION CENTER IS CLOSED

The evacuation center at the Foresthill Veterans Memorial Hall at 24601 Harrison Road in Foresthill has been designated an overnight shelter for residents displaced by the Robbers Fire.

At 7:45 p.m., about 25 people were staying at the Foresthill shelter. It is being operated by the American Red Cross with support from the Placer County Health and Human Services Department.

A decision was made to close the evacuation center at the Colfax Veterans Memorial Hall in Colfax because no one was staying there Wednesday evening.

The fire is burning in rugged terrain east of the north fork of the American River. The fire is on the Foresthill side of the river and moving toward Iowa Hill.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order for residents in the Kings Hill Road and Bushy Bear Ridge areas that remained in effect at 9 p.m. Wednesday. The Sheriff’s Office also made an emergency broadcast notice for residents within a one-mile radius of Iowa Hill to be ready to evacuate Wednesday evening.

At 9:45 p.m., Cal FIRE reported the fire had burned about 200 acres, but was 20 percent contained. It is burning near Yankee Jim’s and Shirttail Canyon roads.

safety, Water

Body found in American River near Watt Avenue

Firefighters have pulled the body of a man from the American River upstream of Watt Avenue.

At 1:18 p.m. this afternoon, the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District received a report that a body was floating in the American River. Two fire boats and a helicopter began a search.

About a half hour later, a Sacramento County park ranger saw the corpse floating against the shoreline. Paramedics on board a fire boat determined that the man was dead, and no lifesaving measures were taken, said district spokesman Assistant Chief Walt White.

More at SacBee.com >>>
Rafting, safety, Water

Rafters ‘getting the message’ about holiday alcohol ban on American River

Titus Cannon did a quick inventory before he hit the American River on Wednesday to join thousands of others for a July Fourth rafting trip.

Red Bull? Check.

Water? Check.

Chips? Check.

Booze? Not a drop.

Cannon, a 21-year-old Sacramento State recreation major, was joining friends Ryan Smith and Hannah Robinson for a downstream trek from the Sunrise access point to William Pond Park, and none seemed to mind the alcohol ban in place now during the summer holidays.

“I think it’s a good idea,” said Smith, a 21-year-old criminology major at CSU Sacramento. “Usually, you wouldn’t catch me on the water on a holiday anyways. It’s smart.”

Authorities banned drinking on the river during summer holidays five years ago between Hazel and Watt avenues, and the message appears to be getting across.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Rafting, safety, Water

Swimmer drowns in American River

A man drowned while attempting to swim across the American River Tuesday afternoon.

Sacramento City Fire crews, DART and Yolo County Marine Patrols searched off of 1800 Northgate Boulevard at Highway 160, just north of downtown Sacramento, Sacramento City Fire Union spokesperson Tod Filbrun said.

The 53-year-old Sacramento resident attempted to swim across the river, but then had trouble.

“There was actually a floatie out there. It floated down the river from wherever it came from. He swam out to get it. And as he swam out to get it, he got really tired. By the time he got to it, he went under and started calling for help,” witness John Tompson said.

More at News10.net >>>

Events, Rafting, safety

American River Parkway raises fees, enforces alcohol ban for July 4th

Sacramento County officials are reminding people that fees will go up for the July 4 holiday, and so will enforcement – as no drinking will be allowed on the American River Parkway between Watt and Hazel avenues.

Entrance fees will go from $5 to $8 for vehicles for the holiday. Vehicles with trailers or other oversize vehicles will be charged $13 instead of $10.

The county justifies the higher fees because of increased work on the holiday.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Rafting, safety, Water

River drowning victim ID’d as Fair Oaks man

A man who died after getting tangled amid submerged trees in the American River at River Bend Park was identified by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office on Sunday as Josh Ray Rasmussen, 32, of Fair Oaks.

At 4:41 p.m. Saturday, the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District received a report that a man had jumped from a raft into the river and had not surfaced.

A fire boat crew found the man, who had been been tangled in the trees, officials reported.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Fire, safety, Water, Wildlife

Prescribed burn smoke will be visible throughout Placer, Yuba, Nevada

Placer, Yuba and Nevada county residents should not worry if they see raging orange flames and plumes of smoke today as a prescribed burn that started at 10 a.m. continues through the evening.

The burn is occurring underneath the Middle Fork American River Canyon bridge, about a mile northeast of Auburn. The Lake Clementine Trail is also closed as part of the burn.

Smoke will be visible from Interstate 80, Highway 49, Auburn, Foresthill and the surrounding areas, according to Cal Fire.

More at SacBee.com >>>

 

Fire, safety, Wildlife

Cal Fire plans 55-acre burn under the Foresthill Bridge Thursday

If you see smoke billowing up by the Foresthill Bridge Thursday, don’t be alarmed, it’s a prescribed burn.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, California State Parks, Placer County, and the Cal Fire Vegetation Management Program, will conduct a 55-acre prescribed burn under the Foresthill Bridge.

Operations will start at 10a.m. and continue into the evening hours. It will consist of two burn units, one on the east side of the river and one on the west side. Smoke will be visible from Interstate 80, Highway 49, Auburn, Foresthill and the surrounding communities.

The prescribed burn will occur directly under the bridge in the middle fork of the American River canyon, approximately one mile northeast of Auburn.
Lake Clementine Trail will be closed to the public on Thursday and Friday (June 28-29) as part of the prescribed burn operation.

Moe at AuburnJournal.com >>>