Elephant fire becomes California's second biggest of the year

A wildfire that started Saturday has become California's second largest of the season.

As of Monday evening, the Elephant fire had burned 12,303 acres (19 square miles) about 25 miles north of Truckee, said fire managers for the Tahoe National Forest. It was 5% contained.

An evacuation order in Lassen County that had been in place for 24 hours was lifted around 5 p.m. Monday; the fire was burning in Plumas and Sierra counties as well. Highways 70, 49 and 395 remained open in the fire area.

It is the biggest fire currently burning in California and for the season ranks behind only May's Santa Rosa Island Fire, said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Elephant started Saturday afternoon along Highway 49 and moved east into the scar of the Loyalton Fire, which burned 47,029 acres in 2020. It is named for Elephant's Head, a 6,600-foot mountain near the ignition site.

For updates and details of evacuation warning zones, see the Genasys Protect map.

Evacuation warnings were also in effect Monday for:

-Lumbee and Loomis fires, combined 758 acres, northwest Lassen County.

-Twain fire, 275 acres, north of Quincy.

-Ledson fire, 13 acres, east of Santa Rosa.

-Summit fire, 2,690 acres, near Wrightwood.

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