Fire near Hoopa expands to more than 2,800 acres, prompt evacuation order

The Mile Post 18 Fire burning north of Hoopa along the east side of Highway 96 has grown to 2,803 acres, with containment at about 10% as of Wednesday morning. An evacuation warning was updated to an evacuation order for HIA-E002-A shortly before noon, according to incident updates. California Interagency Management Team 1 is managing the blaze, with 720 firefighting personnel deployed. Crews reported holding fire east of Highway 96 and the Trinity River by quickly addressing spot areas that crossed control lines. On the incident’s southern portion, hand crews built handline to Mill Creek and completed firing operations to secure the line. Active fire behavior persisted on the northeastern perimeter due to heavy, dry fuels and complex terrain, including spot fires along the eastern boundary. Response teams planned to work Wednesday to contain spot fires along Oil Springs Road under full suppression tactics.