Smoke from the Royal Fire is seen in Tahoe National Forest near Soda Springs on Sunday, July 7, 2024.
Smoke from the Royal Fire is seen in Tahoe National Forest near Soda Springs on Sunday, July 7, 2024.
AlertCalifornia/UC San Diego
Smoke from the Royal Fire is seen in Tahoe National Forest near Soda Springs on Sunday, July 7, 2024.
AlertCalifornia/UC San Diego
Crews were battling a 54-acre fire Sunday evening within the Tahoe National Forest, prompting evacuation warnings for a handful of homes in the Soda Springs area.
The Royal Fire was burning at a “rapid” rate near Royal Gorge, south of Interstate 80, the US Forest Service said in a social media post just after 6:30 pm. A large plume of smoke was visible from I-80, wildfire cameras showed.
According to Cal Fire’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer unit, the blaze was reported just before 5:30 pm “reportedly caused by an escaped camp fire found by (a) hiker.” Forest officials said restrictions only allow for such fires to be made in developed recreation areas.
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Fire crews initially pegged the blaze at 100 acres, but mapping from state aerial resources put the fire at 54 acres just before 8 p.m.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said an evacuation warning was in place for five homes on Soda Springs Road. The roadway was also closed, from about a mile south of the intersection with Serene Road through to the intersection of Soda Springs Road and Forest Service Road 6001-35.
The Forest Service said the blaze is burning in “difficult and remote terrain,” with both ground and air resources deployed.
Michael McGough is The Sacramento Bee’s assistant local news editor. He previously covered breaking news and COVID-19 for The Bee. He is a Sacramento native and graduate of Sacramento State.
