The Butler Fire, burning in Siskiyou County, jumped the Salmon River on Thursday — prompting more evacuation orders and warnings around Forks of Salmon.

The spot fire branching off the east reached around 700 acres by Friday, part of the 11,643-acre Butler Fire that is currently 2% contained. This followed the fire spilling over a line on Yellow Jacket Ridge, and the spot fire prompted a surge of resources to protect nearby homes.

Areas under evacuation orders now include Forks of Salmon, as of Thursday evening, and two nearby zones announced around 10 p.m. Thursday. Areas under warnings also expanded.

Orleans Complex spokesperson Paul Meznarich, said about 40 structures are threatened with no reported losses yet. He urged people to monitor evacuation orders regularly now that the fire is on the east side of the river.

Firefighters are focused on structure protection, including Forks of Salmon, which is two miles from the fire, and the areas of Sawyers Bar and Godfrey Ranch. A pool of resources responded to the spot fire Thursday night, with a Cal Fire aircraft used to drop water until 1 a.m. Friday morning. According to Inciweb, the fire has over 1,000 personnel assigned to it.

The Butler Fire is located in steep, dense terrain — Meznarich said due to wind dynamics in the valley, there’s an area south of the Nordheimer campground prone to spotting, which prompted the construction of a containment line two days before the spot fire.

He said crews on Friday are trying to keep the southern flank of the fire in check, so it doesn’t descend on Forks of Salmon. They also aimed to prepare control lines west of the Salmon River.

As for the western part of the fire, a Friday morning update said the “fingers” are converging — “Butler Creek remained effective in holding the fire’s westerly growth, with scars from the 2024 Boise Fire and 2023 Pearch Fires serving as backstops,” the update said.

Meznarich noted firefighters are working around limited access, with a single road in and out, and are working to find areas to engage the fire without putting themselves in jeopardy — he said aircraft is helping with this dilemma by dropping water and retardant.

The Red Fire, in a wilderness area in Del Norte County, has remained at 116 acres and is 95% contained. About 50 residences are under evacuation orders.

Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504