Robbers Fire. 2400 acres, 30% contained

Update: The Robbers fire, which consumed one home and four outbuildings in Placer County, grew to 2,400 acres Sunday and is now 30 percent contained, the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported.

More than 2,100 firefighters from San Diego to Siskiyou County battled the blaze, which is burning in areas that are remote, steep and overgrown with heavy brush and timber.

"Every afternoon when the temperatures heat up and get to their peak, the fire becomes very active," Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said. "That's when we see it making its run through some of these steep areas."

Berlant said firefighters are working hard to overtake the blaze "because there is so much potential for this fire to grow."

On Sunday the fire threatened a small community known as Brush Creek, with a few dozen homes, Berlant said. Crews were still protecting homes late Sunday, according to officials.

Temperatures Sunday afternoon hit about 90 degrees. Berlant said he expected the fire to pick up again in the afternoon as winds strengthened, pushing the fire to the north and northeast.

The Robbers fire is named after a turnout in the road overlooking the north fork of the American River. The site is known to local history buffs as Robbers' Roost because it became a lookout for stagecoach robberies in Gold Rush days.

The fire, about three miles northwest of Foresthill, is burning in the Yankee Jims area, which includes Brush Creek Canyon. Homes within the Yankee Jims Canyon and Shirttail Canyon areas and in parts of Iowa Hill remained under evacuation orders Sunday, along with Spring Garden Road west of Foresthill.

A Red Cross evacuation center remains open in the Foresthill High School gym.

The fire was not threatening Foresthill or Colfax, Berlant said Sunday afternoon.

The blaze started at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. The cause is under investigation.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/16/4633249/growing-robbers-fire-in-placer.html

Extreme fire behavior observed during this operational period.The fire has made active runs in both the northeast and southeast section of the fire and has burned up to Brushy Creek in the Yankee Jims area. With winds coming out of the south, the fire has been burning towards the northeast.

Evacuations:  Today, the Red Cross moved the Evacuation Center to the Foresthill High School Gym.
Evacuations remain in effect for homes off Yankee Jims Canyon & Shirttail Canyon area, as well as parts of Iowa Hill.
The following streets are evacuated: Just Rd., Big Dipper Rd., Glory Mound Rd., Kings Hill Rd., Brushy Bear Rd., Brushy Creek Ln., Macy Creek, Adelin, Blind Doe, Mountain Lion, Spring Garden Rd, Log Cabin Ln, Pine Mountain Rd, Small Hope Mine Ln, Owl Creek Rd and parts of Shirttail Canyon.

Road Closures: Just Rd., Big Dipper Rd., Glory Mound Rd., Kings Hill Rd., Brushy Bear Rd., Brushy Creek Rd., Shirt Tail Canyon Rd. Further info will be posted at this update - CFN Link
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Extreme fire behavior observed during this operational period.
 Governor Jerry Brown has just ordered additional resources to be made available to fight the Robbers Fire. The resources include five specially equipped UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and trained guard personnel to assist state and local firefighters as well as emergency management and mutual aid resources available through the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA).

Evacuations: Evacuations remain in effect for homes off Yankee Jims Canyon & Shirttail Canyon area, as well as parts of Iowa Hill.

The following streets are evacuated: Just Rd., Big Dipper Rd., Glory Mound Rd., Kings Hill Rd., Brushy Bear Rd., Brushy Creek Ln., Macy Creek, Adelin, Blind Doe, Mountain Lion, Spring Garden Rd, Log Cabin Ln, Pine Mountain Rd, Small Hope Mine Ln, Owl Creek Rd and parts of Shirttail Canyon

Road Closures: Just Rd., Big Dipper Rd., Glory Mound Rd., Kings Hill Rd., Brushy Bear Rd., Brushy Creek Rd., Shirt Tail Canyon Rd.

The American Red Cross has established an evacuation shelter at the Foresthill Veterans Hall.
Phone Numbers (530) 823-4083 (Incident Information Line)

Robbers Wildfire Location, Perimeter and Hot Spot Map
 Summary:  The fire is burning in heavy brush and timber in steep terrain where travel is slow and difficult with limited turnouts and bridges with weight limitations.
 Winds have picked up from the south & fire activity is increasing on the SE flank.

ROBBERS FIRE
Robbers Fire Incident Information:
Last Updated: July 13, 2012 6:45 am
Date/Time Started: July 11, 2012 3:25 pm
Administrative Unit: CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit
County: Placer County
Location: Shirt Tail Canyon Rd and Yankee Jims Rd, northwest of Foresthill
Acres Burned: 1,157 acres
Containment 1,157 acres - 10% contained
Threatened: 150 residences
Cooperating Agencies: CAL FIRE, local numerous fire agencies, Placer County Sheriff, CHP, CalEMA, Placer County OES, BLM, CDCR
Total Fire Personnel: 1,368 personnel
Engines: 144 engines
Fire crews: 42 crews
Airtankers: 9 air tankers
Helicopters: 9 helicopters
Dozers: 25 bulldozers
Water tenders: 12 water tenders
Conditions: Extreme Fire Behaviour Observed