Pentz Fire erupts in Butte County as crews contain 20-acre blaze near Paradise

A vegetation fire, named the Pentz Fire, broke out in Butte County on Friday afternoon. It was burning off Pentz Road near Lindenbaum Lane in lower Paradise. The cause of the fire remained unknown at the time. By 2:28 p.m., Cal Fire reported that at least 20 acres had burned. Firefighters managed to halt the fire’s forward progress by 3:04 p.m.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation warning for residents in Zone 461. The warning covered the area east of, but not including, Dry Creek Road, extending to the west branch of Lake Oroville. It also included the stretch from the intersection of Arden Way and Pentz Road to north of the intersection of Pentz Road and Messilla Valley Road. People in these areas were told to prepare to leave. The Pentz Fire follows the devastating Camp Fire of 2018, which killed 85 people and destroyed over 18,000 structures in Paradise. That fire was caused by faulty power lines. Authorities have not yet determined the origin of the Pentz Fire.