700 Acre Buckeye Fire Near Petrolia

Initial Report:
According to Cal Fire  a 700 acre fire is currently burning in the Petrolia area.   The fire started around 9:30 PM last night in the Buck Mtn. area off of Conklin Creek Rd. east of Petrolia. One residence was destroyed in the blaze. The fire is called the Buckeye Incident and as of 9 AM this morning, the fire was 5% contained.  Cal Fire says 183 personnel are at scene, and more resources are on the way to the Petrolia area. Cal Fire, the Petrolia Volunteer Fire Dept. , the Honeydew Volunteer Fire Dept. and Briceland Volunteer Fire Dept. are all fighting the fire near Petrolia, as well as California Dept. of Corrections Officers and Crews .  

The Buckeye Incident is currently burning brush, grass and timber and heading east. Winds are a factor due to a storm coming in from the ocean. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Cal Fire says the terrain is extreme, and the current weather conditions are inhibiting a complete aerial view of the fire.  When the fog bank moves, another aerial flight will estimate the fire size.  The weather forecast predicts mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of showers near the fire. Please be mindful of increased fire equipment on the road.  

Buckeye Incident Report Update- 2 PM /Tues., Sept. 7:
Cal Fire says no homes are currently threatened and there are no injuries at the present time although one firefighter sustained a back injury. 

Update-3 PM/Tues., Sept. 7:
According to a Cal Fire News Release received at 3 PM, Tues., Sept. 7, a Cal Fire Incident Command Team will be assuming command of the fire at 6:00 PM tonight. Presently, resources committed to the fire include: 30 Engines, 40 Crews, 7 Dozers, 3 Water Tenders, 5 Air Tankers, and 10 Helicopters for a total of 921 Personnel on the scene.  The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Update-6 PM/Tues., Sept. 7:
After the fog cleared, aircraft personnel were able to more accurately assess the fire perimeter, and as of 6 PM this evening the Buckeye Fire is estimated at 348 acres and is 15 percent contained. After the 6 PM command change, Cal Fire issued a correction indicating the structure that burned last night was an outbuilding not a residence. It is currently raining in the Petrolia area, so Cal Fire says the Buckeye Fire is not moving, and they expect  to have a larger area contained by morning.  Cal Fire asks the public to please stay away from the Buckeye Incident; more traffic on the roads is dangerous for fire personnel on the narrow roads.

Update-11 AM/Wed., Sept. 8:
Cal Fire reports that the Buckeye Fire did not grow in size overnight and is still estimated at 348 acres.  The fire reportedly is now about 15 percent contained.  It is burning mostly in grassland but also in forested and brushy areas. The rain and cool weather conditions are aiding firefighters in battling the blaze, but the rough terrain on Buckeye Mountain is not.  Cal Fire says they have about 900 firefighters working to extinguish the fire and believes they will have full containment by September 10.

Update-6 PM/Fri., Sept. 10:
According to information published on the Cal Fire Web Page the Buckeye Fire has now been 100% contained, burned 205 acres and to date cost $2,778,696.

Click here for a link to the Cal Fire Webpage/Buckeye Incident

For a photo of the fire see our Fire News Page.