Willow fire containment hits 80%, evacuations end

Containment on the Willow fire near North Fork grew to 80% Tuesday, and fire officials said they don’t expect the blaze to grow beyond 5,702 acres.

U.S. Forest Service spokesman Raj Singh said no official date is set for the blaze to reach 100% containment.

“We aren’t expecting the fire perimeter to grow any further,” Singh said. “The weather is cooler. It’s overcast with mild temperatures and that’s definitely helping.”

Singh said smoke conditions in the morning remain kind of hazy and foggy, however, as the day heats up the smoke leaves.

Over the course of the fire, six firefighters have been injured, he said. Four injuries were heat or dietary related and two were minor burns.

All evacuation orders were lifted at 10 a.m. Tuesday morning. Access will be limited just to residents with proper ID.

Willow Canyon Road, Central Camp Road, Autumn Ridge Road and Douglas Ranger Station Road remain closed to the general public until further notice.

More than 1,300 firefighters are assigned to the Willow blaze, which officials have said was sparked by a teenager who ignited pine tree branches. The cost of fighting the fire is estimated at $16.3 million so far.

This story was originally published August 4, 2015 at 4:36 PM with the headline "Willow fire containment hits 80%, evacuations end."