By Larry Judkins
Glenn County Observer
Mowing in hot, dry, windy conditions led to a disastrous fire on Tuesday, May 24.
At 10:39 a.m., the Orland Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a vegetation fire in the 4600 block of County Road E, north of County Road 200, west of Orland. Five minutes later, mutual aid for one engine and one water tender from the Artois and Capay fire departments was requested.
By this time, the fire had spread into Hambright Creek off County Road FF.
At 10:53 a.m., a countywide request for aid was sent out. Firefighters who responded included but were not necessarily limited to those from Capay, Artois, Butte City, Glenn-Codora, Ord Bend, Bayliss, and Willows.
As was the case a few weeks ago with the fire in Stony Creek near Hamilton City, the Cal Fire helicopter responded to Tuesday’s fire. Members of the Corning Fire Department also helped by coming to Orland while virtually all available Orland volunteers were out west of town.
Furthermore, private citizens and businesses, including Doc Bogart, Raygoza Hay, and Dee Holmes, provided their own water tenders and labor. The fire hydrant at Newville Road (County Road 200) near Commerce Lane was one of the places where firefighters refilled their vehicles.
Multiple structures, including residences, were reported as being threatened. Orland police officers responded to the area and began evacuating residents.
These officers tied police tape to property entrances to indicate to others, including Glenn County Search and Rescue, that the residences had already been evacuated. Evacuation orders and warnings extended from County Road 9 in the north to County Road 12 in the south, and from about County Road H in the east to County Road E in the west.
Orland police officers, Glenn County Sheriff’s deputies, California Highway Patrol officers, and Glenn County probation officers helped to block entrances to the fire area at various intersections around the restricted area. A command center for law enforcement was set up on Newville Road, not far from the Eagles Hall.
At about 11:30 a.m., an evacuation center was set up at the Arts and Crafts building at the Glenn County Fairgrounds. Animals were accepted at the fairgrounds.
The sheriff’s office released an update on what was now being called the Edward Fire at about 2:10 p.m. It reported that forward progress of the fire had been stopped and that the fire had scorched 50 acres and was 60 percent contained.
At 3 p.m., another update was released. It reported that about 20 structures, four of them residences, were destroyed.
Forty minutes later, another update was released, this one reducing the number of residences destroyed to two. It now appears that only one residence was destroyed.
At 4:45 p.m., all evacuations for the Edward Fire were lifted and residents were allowed to return to their homes. “Soft closure” with road closed signs remained in place for County Road FF.
Road FF was open only to residents to access their homes. No other motorists were permitted on this road.
Firefighters remained in the area overnight.
This update from the sheriff’s office lowered the number of residences lost to just one. Other destroyed and damaged structures included landscape structures, fences, outbuildings, etc.
From about 4:45 p.m. to well into the evening, fire units started to be released.
A number of vegetation fires popped up in the Sacramento Valley on Tuesday:
9 a.m., the Wilder Fire ignited in the Red Bluff area of Tehama County and was quickly contained at 90 acres.
10:30 a.m., the Edward Fire started in the Orland area of Glenn County, burned 60 acres, and destroyed one home and some 20 outbuildings.
1 p.m., the River Fire popped up north of Colusa in Colusa County and burned more than 440 acres.
4 p.m., the 95A Fire ignited west of the Davis area of Yolo County and started from a structure fire that quickly spread to the surrounding vegetation.
The Glenn County Observer 