California's Dixie Fire now third largest in state history
Senior correspondent Claudia Cowan has the latest form Auburn, California on 'Special Report'
The raging Dixie Fire in Northern California – the third largest wildfire in state history -- has left at least eight area residents unaccounted for, according to a local sheriff.
Five of the missing people were from Greenville, two from Crescent Mills and one from Chester, the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office told FOX 40 of Sacramento.
Investigators were previously able to locate 16 other people who had been reported missing, according to the station.
The Greenville residents were identified as Danny Sczenski, Jesus and Elena Gursasola, Matthew Henly and Glen Gallagher. The Crescent Mills residents were identified as Sally and Howard Brown, while the Chester resident was identified as Donna Shelton.
The sheriff’s office asked that anyone with information about the missing people call 530-283-6300.
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Many Greenville-area evacuees were gathered at a makeshift camp at Lassen Community College in Susanville, California, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported.
"There were embers and flames everywhere by the time we left," Greenville resident Jennifer Gonzales told the newspaper.
Operations Chief Jay Walter moves a light post that was blocking Highway 89 as the Dixie Fire tears through the Greenville community in Plumas County, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. (Associated Press)
The college camp sheltered about 140 people Wednesday night, with about 35 others staying at a nearby high school, the report said.
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Fire crews overnight continued to battle the Dixie Fire, which was present in four counties and grew by more than 100,000 acres between Thursday and Friday, according to FOX 40.
More than 5,000 fire personnel have been deployed to combat the blaze, the station reported.
The fire started July 13 and as of Friday morning it had burned nearly 434,000 acres spread across Plumas, Butte, Tehama and Lassen counties.
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The fire tore through Greenville on Wednesday evening, destroying the downtown area and reducing to ashes most of the rest of the Gold Rush-era city of 1,000 residents.
Greenville is about 125 miles northwest of Reno, Nevada.
