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CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – As firefighters continued to gain ground on the Wye Fire on Wednesday, residents of another evacuated area were allowed home.
Cal Fire said the Wye Fire has hit 7,934 acres, with containment at 70 percent Wednesday morning.
The Wye Fire incident includes two fires being managed as one: the Wye Fire – burning near Highway 20 and Highway 53 – and the Walker Fire, near Walker Ridge Road, inside both Lake and Colusa counties.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday the evacuation order was lifted for the Wilbur Hot Springs area. Spring Valley residents, who had been evacuated on Sunday, were allowed to go home the following day.
Another injury was reported on the incident Wednesday, bringing the total to three, according to Cal Fire.
No additional damage to homes or property has been reported.
Fire personnel on scene Wednesday included 1,219 fire personnel from Cal Fire and many other agencies, 157 engines, 28 fire crews, two air tankers, eight helicopters, 24 bulldozers and 14 water tenders, according to Cal Fire.
Highway 20 east of Highway 53 to Highway 16 remained under single-lane traffic control, with the California Highway Patrol continuing to escort motorists through the area due to safety concerns.
Cal Fire’s incident management team said it was evaluating its fire operations in the area of the highway, with the goal being to reopen Highway 20 to full traffic sometime on Wednesday.
Cal Fire still as not reported what caused the fires, which remain under investigation.
Lake County remains under an air quality alert on Wednesday for “moderate” to “unhealthy for sensitive individuals” conditions due to the fires, particularly in the Northshore, Clearlake and the county’s eastern areas, according to the Lake County Air Quality Management District.
For information about highway closures, call Caltrans at 800-427-7623; the Wye Fire Call Center can be reached at 707-967-4207 or 707-967-4208; Lake County Air Quality Management can be reached at 707-263-7000.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .