NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Two wildland fires burning in Colusa County since Tuesday afternoon grew by several hundred acres overnight, causing an evacuation order to be issued for a nearby rancheria.

The “16 Complex” was sparked just before 4 p.m. Tuesday off of Highway 16, south of Highway 20, in the Rumsey Canyon area.

By Wednesday morning the fires had scorched 1,950 acres, with Cal Fire estimating containment at 10 percent.

Smoke from the fires was visible throughout Lake County on Wednesday morning.

The cause of the fires is under investigation, Cal Fire said.

On Tuesday night fire officials issued an evacuation warning for the Cortina Rancheria area, which remained in effect early Wednesday.

Due to the fire, officials had ordered Highway 16 closed from the junction with Highway 20 to 7.1 miles east of the Colusa/Yolo County line at Manzanita Avenue.

Cal Fire had approximately 600 of its firefighting personnel on scene Wednesday, along with 27 personnel from other agencies, and 150 engines, 28 fire crews, two helicopters, 16 bulldozers and three water tenders.

Along with Cal Fire, agencies involved in the response to the fire include fire and law enforcement agencies from Colusa and Yolo counties, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and Caltrans.

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