Kearney Fire forces evacuations in rural Nevada County west off Penn Valley
A grass fire in rural Nevada County, west of Penn Valley, prompted evacuation orders on Tuesday.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's (Cal Fire) Nevada-Yuba-Placer unit said the fire, dubbed the Kearney Fire, had burned roughly 60 acres in the Penn Valley area, off Kearney Court near Highway 20. No containment has been reported.
Cal Fire NEU said the Kearney Fire was spreading at a dangerous rate and threatening structures, powerlines and Highway 20.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. No injuries or damages have been reported.
Evacuation orders and road closures
The Nevada County Sheriff's Office issued mandatory evacuation orders for zones NCO-E010 and NCO-E011. These two zones are on the southern side of Highway 20 between Penn Valley and Smartsville.
Additionally, zones NCO-E017 and NCO-E012, on the northern side of Highway 20, are under an evacuation warning along with zone NCO-E014, which encompasses the west side of Penn Valley. View a live evacuation map here.
The Penn Valley Library at 11240 is serving as an evacuation center. Over in Grass Valley, the Nevada County Fairgrounds was serving as an animal evacuation center.
The California Highway Patrol has also enforced road closures along Highway 20 at Melody Lane and Sloping Oaks Road.
