Butte County grass fire prompts evacuation warning near Paradise

A vegetation fire was burning in Butte County on Friday afternoon, prompting an evacuation warning near the town of Paradise.

Cal Fire said the Pentz Fire was burning off Pentz Road near Lindenbaum Lane in lower Paradise. The Cal Fire incident report on the fire said at least 20 acres had burned as of 2:28 p.m.

The Butte County Sheriff's Office issued an evacuation warning for residents living in Zone 461. The zone encompasses the area east of, and not including, Dry Creek Road; east to west branch of Lake Oroville; from the intersection of Arden Way and Pentz Road to north of the intersection of Pentz Road and Messilla Valley Road.

People in those areas have been told to prepare to evacuate. 

Cal Fire said firefighters had stopped forward progress of the fire as of 3:04 p.m. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

In 2018, the town of Paradise was virtually destroyed by the devastating Camp Fire, the deadliest of most destructive wildfire in California history. The fire, sparked by faulty Pacific Gas and Electric power lines, claimed 85 lives, destroyed over 18,000 structures, and forced tens of thousands of residents to flee. 

This is a breaking news update. More information to be added as available.