Firefighters Make All-Out Effort to Contain Explosive River Fire Near Colfax

COLFAX (CBS13) – The battle to stop the spread of the River Fire in Nevada and Placer County is continuing into the night.

The fire exploded in size to more than 1,400 acres after first being reported as a grass fire Wednesday afternoon near Bear River Campground.

At times flames erupted into huge fireballs that could be seen engulfing trees like a matchstick. Firefighters used an aggressive air attack all day long, trying to stop the flames. They used bulldozers on the ground to create fire breaks.

And firefighters surrounded properties for structure protection, in some cases even moving evacuees' personal belongings to safer ground.

Doctor Glen Barney's home is in the fire zone near Milk Ranch Road. He watched the firefighters at work, thanking them personally for their help with a handshake and a pat on the shoulder.

"We cannot thank the Cal Fire department enough," Barney said. "I mean, it's truly amazing to watch them work, the helicopters and [planes], it's amazing."

Another California wildfire ripped through another community. And an all-out attack is underway in an effort to keep the damage to a minimum.