Sept. 13, 2012 — A fire that broke out about 1:10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13 near Cheney Creek Road on a mountainside just outside the city of Susanville has forced fire officials to order mandatory evacuations for residents living west of the water tank.

Leah Sandberg, a public information officer with Calfire, said the fire has burned about 100 acres as of 3:30 p.m., and the cause has yet to be determined. Flames could be seen near the top of the Susan River Canyon above Hobo Camp.

At 3:30 p.m. the fire is burning in a westerly direction on State Responsibility Area land, Sandberg said.

A number of local fire agencies as well as crews from the U.S. Forest Service and Calfire responded to the blaze.

According to Jeff Fontana, a public information officer for the Susanville Interagency Fire Center, eight hand crews, 14 engines, seven air tankers and seven helicopters are battling the fire.