Acreage, Containment Grows For Butte Fire

• Butte Fire Tuesday Update: More Residents Able To Return Home
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• Sunday Butte Fire Coverage: Containment Grows Slightly For Butte Fire

10:53 p.m. - Containment of the Butte Fire in Amador and Calaveras counties has grown to 35 percent, with acreage burned inching upward to 71,523 as of Monday night.

Officials say 166 homes, 116 outbuildings and 12 other structures have been lost to the fire.

Remarkable stat: area burned by #ValleyFire #ButteFire combined is over a third the size of #Sacramento metro! #cawx pic.twitter.com/xbQJx9ReY4

— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) September 15, 2015

Just In - The #ButteFire in Amador & Calaveras counties is now 71,523 acres & 35% contained.

— CAL FIRE PIO Berlant (@CALFIRE_PIO) September 15, 2015

5:48 p.m. The Butte Fire in Amador and Calaveras counties has burned more than 71,000 acres and containment increased to 30 percent this afternoon.

Cal Fire says 4,409 firefighters are working to contain the wildfire, which started last Wednesday.

Mandatory Evacuations are still underway for San Andreas at Pope, West Murray Creek, Lewis, Miller, San Andreas Elementary, Goldstrike, Mountain Ranch East to Windmill, Wimbledon Drive, Forest Hill and Turner Court. 

Cal Fire reports the fire behavior remained moderate throughout the day moving southeast allowing and crews to be more effective in perimeter control. Firefighters continue to fight the fire aggressively but critical fuel moisture levels, steep terrain, and limited fire access continue to provide challenges. Damage Assessment teams have arrived and started evaluations of damaged and destroyed structures.

9:07 a.m. The number of homes destroyed in the Butte Fire east of Jackson in Amador and Calaveras counties has risen to 135. The fire is 30 percent contained.

People are being allowed back into their homes in Amador County, but on the Calaveras side, mandatory evacuations are still in effect. 

"We still have active fire down in the Calaveras area, so some of those areas have not been lifted yet," says Bud Englund is with Cal Fire.

Englund says the foothills are a tough place to contain a wildfire under drought conditions.

"Very steep terrain, hard access due to narrow roads, and very thick fuels that are obviously very dry," says Englund.

Cal Fire says the Butte Fire still threatens 6,400 structures. 

8:47 a.m. Cal Fire is battling several major wildfires around the state, including the Butte Fire in Amador and Calaveras Counties. It's 30 percent contained, and grew to 71,063 acres over the weekend.

Bud Englund is a spokesman for Cal Fire. He says the foothills are a tough place to contain a wildfire under drought conditions.

"Very steep terrain, hard access due to narrow roads, and very thick fuels that are obviously very dry," says Englund. 

Officials confirmed that 135 homes were destroyed, and 6,400 structures are still threatened. Residents on the south side of the fire in Calaveras County are under mandatory evacuation, but the Amador County evacuees are being repopulated to their homes.

7 a.m. About 200 homes and other structures have either been destroyed or damaged by the Butte Fire and over 6,400 structures are still threatened by the blaze, burning east of Jackson in Amador and Calaveras counties.

The wildfire has blackened more than 71,063 acres. About 4,400 firefighters are working the blaze.

The fire is 30 percent contained. 

6:30 a.m. The Butte Fire in Amador and Calaveras counties continues to grow and is now at 71,063 acres. But crews made some progress overnight with containment now up to 30 acres, says Cal Fire. 

More than 200 residences, outbuildings and structures have been damaged by the blaze. While some evacuation orders were lifted overnight for Calaveras counties, about 6,400 homes are still being threatened.

6 a.m.: In Amador and Calaveras counties, the Butte Fire has burned more than 65,000 acres and is 25 percent contained.

Authorities say 135 residences, 79 outbuildings and four structures have been damaged and over 6,400 structures are still threatened. 

Some evacuation orders in Amador and Calaveras counties were lifted overnight. These include:

Re-population Phase I: All residences on East Clinton Road, to Clinton Road, Residences on Irish Town Road and Clinton Road to East Clinton Road, All residences on Mount Zion/Lookout Road area, All residences on Tabeau Road from Hwy 88 to South of Arrowhead, All residences on Clinton Road from Amador Lane/Tabeau Road to East/West Clinton split

Re-population Phase II: Additional Evacuations have been lifted and are open toRESIDENTS ONLY: For a list of the applicable roads please visit the attached link

Some areas, however, are still under mandatory evacuation orders: 

Based on Cal Fire Perimeter Maps: