By David Ruiz and Cathy Locke
druiz@sacbee.com
A week after it began in rugged terrain northwest of Foresthill, the Robbers Fire was reported 75 percent contained this evening, and full containment is expected on Saturday.
Mandatory evacuations were lifted this morning for both the Brushy Creek and Yankee Jims communities. Mandatory evacuations for residents living on Kings Hill Road are still in place.
Yankee Jims Road reopened between Canyon Way and Gillis Hill Road, according to a news release from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. That strip of Yankee Jims Road is open to residents, with a sheriff's deputy checking identification or utility bills for verification. East of Gillis Hill Road is a complete closure, meaning no one can pass.
Yankee Jims Road is also open east of Small Hope Mine Lane. To the west of that intersection, only residents can pass.
A complete closure is in effect for Shirt Tail Canyon Road at Big Dipper Road, near the Iowa Hill community. That area is still under careful watch by fire department services, said Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant.
The fire has burned 2,650 acres. Cooler temperatures have aided the firefighting effort.
With the lifted evacuations, the Foresthill High School evacuation center for Placer residents also closed this morning. The evacuation last week affected roughly 200 residents, said Placer County public information officer Robert Miller.
The evacuation center served more as a meeting ground for the community than as an overnight refuge, said Red Cross spokesperson Trista Cunningham. "We had three to six people staying overnight, but our community briefings drew in about 200 to 300 people," she said. Briefings involved CalFIRE, Red Cross, and Placer County officials updating residents on the fire.
Residents who are in need of assistance can call The Red Cross at (916) 993-7087 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. After hours calls can be made to (855) 891-7325.
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