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50-697: The fire was started by lightning strikes east of Loyalton along the eastern edge of the Sierra Valley , near Mount Ina Coolbrith on the Tahoe National Forest . A fire lookout on Smith Peak in the Plumas National Forest first reported smoke from the burgeoning fire to the Plumas dispatch center in Quincy at 4:27 p.m. PDT on Friday, August 14. Limited road access prevented ground crews from getting near

100-472: A female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.83. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

150-582: A majority in the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976 . On November 4, 2008, Sierra County voted 64.2% for Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. In the 2009 special statewide election, Sierra County had the highest voter turnout of any county in California, with 53.6% of registered voters participating, according to the Los Angeles Times. The election

200-421: A population of 3,240. The racial makeup of Sierra County was 3,022 (93.3%) White , 6 (0.2%) African American , 44 (1.4%) Native American , 12 (0.4%) Asian , 2 (0.1%) Pacific Islander , 75 (2.3%) from other races , and 79 (2.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 269 persons (8.3%). As of the census of 2000, there were 3,555 people, 1,520 households and 986 families residing in

250-668: Is Sierra County's most populous municipality and its only incorporated city, generally half of the meetings of the county's board of supervisors are held in Downieville and the other half are held in Loyalton. The county is governed by the five-member Sierra County Board of Supervisors, consisting of the following members as of August 2021. Law enforcement is provided by the Sierra County Sheriff's Department, headed by current Sierra County Sheriff-Coroner Michael "Mike" Fisher. Due to

300-492: Is Sierra County's most populous municipality and its only incorporated city, the location of the Sierra County Board of Supervisors twice-monthly meetings alternate between Downieville , Sierra County's county seat , and the city of Loyalton. The City of Loyalton's total expenditures for 2012 were $ 1.2 million, funded mostly from outside sources such as federal and county grants. Local tax collection revenue that year

350-522: Is a fifty-mile drive on State Route 49 to the county seat, Downieville . Many of the population are ranchers, loggers, former loggers, or suburbanites who have relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area , Sacramento, and growing Reno–Tahoe area. Loyalton began as a settlement named "Smith's Neck". The name was changed to Loyalton with the onset of the Civil War, expressing the popular sentiment in

400-554: Is the Sierra Buttes Gold Mine was located in 1850 near Sierra City. The Gold Bluff Mine was located near Downieville in 1854. By 1880 the county was "crushing" 70,000 tons of quartz and had 266 miles of mining ditches. Since the enactment of the statute in which the California State Legislature defined the common boundary between Nevada and Sierra Counties in 1874, no survey was conducted to determine where

450-509: Is today run by their daughter Janice Wright Buck. The other paper serving the county is The Mountain Messenger which is based in Downieville. The Messenger has been in constant publication since 1853 and is currently the longest-running weekly newspaper in the state of California. Its more notable former contributor was Mark Twain , at the time in hiding from Nevadan authorities and writing under his birth name of Samuel Clemens. This paper

500-455: The 2020 census , the population was 3,236, making it California's second-least populous county. The county seat is Downieville ; the sole incorporated city is Loyalton . The county is in the Sierra Nevada , northeast of Sacramento on the border with Nevada . Sierra County was formed from parts of Yuba County in 1852. The county derives its name from the Sierra Nevada . Prior to

550-725: The California Gold Rush , the area was home to both the Maidu and the Washoe peoples. They generally summered in the higher elevations to hunt and fish, and returned to lower elevations for the winter months. After the discovery of gold in the Sierra foothills sparked the California Gold Rush, more than 16,000 miners settled in Sierra County between 1848 and 1860. Most mining settlements in

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600-475: The poverty line , including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over. Sierra County is served by two long-running local newspapers. The Sierra Valley region, which is partially within Sierra County, is served by the Sierra Booster , based in Loyalton. This paper has been published bi-weekly since 1949 when it was established by reporter, miner, and airman Hal Wright and his wife Allene. It

650-486: The poverty line , including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over. In the state legislature , Loyalton is in the 1st Senate District , represented by Republican Brian Dahle , and the 1st Assembly District , represented by Republican Megan Dahle . Federally, Loyalton is in California's 1st congressional district , represented by Republican Doug LaMalfa . Because Loyalton

700-472: The Forest , starring Bette Davis and Joseph Cotten , and directed by King Vidor . Main street business facades are featured, as are the evident owners of the businesses and other townspeople. In the script, the town is referred to as "Loyalton, Wisconsin." Sierra County, California Sierra County ( / s i ˈ ɛr ə / ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California . As of

750-524: The South Fork of the Middle Yuba River to a point ten miles above the mouth of the latter. Since the line was not surveyed and the legislature never defined where the "point east of the source of the South Fork of the Middle Yuba River" was, the location of the straight air line between the state line and this point was unknown. As such, both counties claimed that the point east of the source, which itself

800-406: The age of 18 living in them, 163 (52.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 28 (9.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 19 (6.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 25 (8.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 81 households (26.3%) were one person and 35 (11.4%) had someone living alone who

850-468: The age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 23.8% of households were one person and 10.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.00. The age distribution was 29.1% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% 65 or older. The median age

900-529: The area favoring the Union. The first settlers to the area were largely Swiss and Italian immigrants who established farms in the Sierra Valley starting in the late 1850s. Sawmills were also established to process timber from the nearby mountains. The production of timber and farms goods found a market among the miners in both California and Nevada. By 1901, the Boca & Loyalton Railroad arrived. The "City of Loyalton"

950-484: The city has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km ), all land. This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Loyalton has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate , abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps. At the 2020 census Loyalton had a population of 740. The population density

1000-457: The city. CalPERS publicly uses actuarial present value to calculate member contributions but when a member withdraws it utilizes a non-public calculation to define unfunded liabilities. Loyalton has not yet paid the bill so CalPERS is charging 7.5% annual interest and had sent a final demand letter in September 2016. Loyalton was extensively used as a filming location in the 1949 movie Beyond

1050-550: The county sprung up along the North and Middle Forks of the Yuba River , both of which had rich deposits of gold. While some of the mining boom towns faded away once gold fever died down, other settlements such as Downieville and Sierra City have remained. Notable gold nuggets found in the county include a 26.5 pound specimen, avoirdupois , found by a group of sailors at Sailor Ravine, two miles above Downieville . A 51-pound specimen

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1100-567: The county's sparse population and geographical obstacles, the Sheriff's Department operates a substation in Loyalton in addition to their main headquarters in Downieville. Sierra County at one time had favored the Democratic party in presidential elections and was one of few counties in California to be won by George McGovern . In more recent times it is a strongly Republican county in presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win

1150-414: The county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (1.5 people/km ). There were 2,202 housing units at an average density of 2 units per square mile (0.77 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 94.2% White , 0.2% Black or African American , 1.9% Native American , 0.2% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.0% from other races , and 2.5% from two or more races. Six percent of

1200-428: The fire for several hours. Despite the efforts of helicopters and air tankers, by 7:28 p.m. the fire had burned 500 acres (200 ha). On August 15, at around 2:35 p.m. PDT, high winds and thunderstorm activity spawned three fire tornadoes , two of which were rated EF1. The National Weather Service issued its first-ever fire tornado warning resulting from the building pyrocumulonimbus cloud in response to

1250-789: The fire was at 47,029 acres (19,032 ha) and was 75 percent contained. Wind activity decreased significantly over the weekend helping fire crews to expand containment. A total of six homes and 29 other structures were reported destroyed. All evacuation orders were lifted as of this time, though the Dog Valley area of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest remained closed. The fire was declared 100 percent contained on August 26. It burned 47,029 acres (19,032 ha) in total. The Loyalton Fire destroyed 35 structures. No other buildings were damaged. The toll included six homes and 29 outbuildings, most of which were abandoned and lay near

1300-516: The general public may ride on a space-available basis. Sierraville-Dearwater Field Airport is a general aviation airport located near Sierraville. The closest major airport is in Reno . The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense. As of 2015 the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Sierra County, California are: The 2010 United States Census reported that Sierra County had

1350-485: The incident, which went into effect for Lassen County . By the morning of August 16, the fire had expanded to 20,000 acres (8,100 ha). Evacuation orders were issued for areas in Lassen County south of SR 70 and west of US 395 . SR 70 was closed between SR 49 and US 395 as fire crews worked to prevent the fire from spreading north of Beckwourth Pass . The fire briefly jumped north of SR 70 and east of US 395 but

1400-443: The legislature defined the boundary in dispute by referencing Public Land Survey System lines. It also determined that the source of South Fork of the Middle Yuba River was that of several springs in the Sierra Nevada , contrary to the artificial English Lake, which ceased to exist after the failure of its dam in 1883, which is where the source of said waterway was in the eyes of Nevada County. The California Supreme Court affirmed

1450-608: The morning of August 20, evacuation advisories were lifted for Sierra Brooks and Copperfield. As of 5:44 pm on August 20, the fire had burned 46,582 acres (18,851 ha) and was 60 percent contained. Air quality continued to be extremely poor in Sierra Valley and Reno, with visibility highly impaired by smoke. On the morning of August 21, evacuation orders remained in place for Balls Canyon Road and Long Valley Road. The fire had burned 46,872 acres (18,968 ha) and remained at 60 percent containment. At 6:30 am on August 22,

1500-510: The north end of the fire. Loyalton, California Loyalton is a city in Sierra County , California , United States. At the 2020 census , the population was 740, reflecting a decline of 29 from the 769 counted in 2010 . The ZIP code for the community is 96118. The town is near the north extent of State Route 49 , which ends at State Route 70 in Vinton . According to Rand-McNally, it

1550-402: The occupied units 225 (73.1%) were owner-occupied and 83 (26.9%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.8%. 526 people (68.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 212 people (27.6%) lived in rental housing units. At the 2000 census there were 862 people in 323 households, including 235 families, in the city. The population density

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1600-412: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Eighteen percent were of English ancestry, 16% were of Irish , 11% German and 8% Italian ancestry. Over ninety-five (95.3) percent spoke English and 3.4% Spanish as their first language. There were 1,520 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 7.9% had

1650-527: The scene. Crews had made progress on the southeast flank of the fire on August 17, mandatory evacuations were lifted for Cold Springs, and SR 70 was reopened. The Dog Valley and Long Valley areas of the Carson Ranger District on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest were closed to recreational access. By evening, advisory evacuation orders were in place for Loyalton, Chilcoot , Vinton , and Sierra Brooks . Lightning strikes started several new fires to

1700-455: The south around 7:30 pm, but rain after midnight helped slow fire activity. As of August 17, five homes and six other structures had been destroyed. On August 18, the fire had been largely contained in the north and east, and mandatory evacuations were lifted in Lassen County. However, it continued spreading rapidly to the south and west, largely due to the lightning strikes there the previous day. The fire grew to 43,444 acres (17,581 ha) and

1750-472: The straight line segment of the common boundary between the two counties ran. In particular, the statute, at the time codified as Section 3921 of the California Political Code, at the time stated: ...thence south on said state line (state of Nevada) to the northeast corner of Nevada County, a point east of the source of the South Fork of the Middle Yuba River; thence west to the source of, and down

1800-445: The trial courts decision on December 28, 1908. Sierra County, California covers 962 square miles according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The county comprises 953 square miles of land and 9 square miles of water. The county is located in the Sierra Nevada . The county has a diverse range of landscapes, from mountains to forests, with numerous lakes and streams. The area has opportunities for hiking, fishing, and hunting. Because Loyalton

1850-502: Was $ 163,000. In 2016, the city recovered over $ 400,000 that had been embezzled by an employee but it still faces an $ 80,000 budget shortfall. In 2012, the Loyalton City Council decided to withdraw from CalPERS because its last employee with a guaranteed pension had retired. The city had been fully paying its required annual contribution of $ 30,000 and had only four remaining pensioners. CalPERS then demanded $ 1.6 million from

1900-446: Was 10 percent contained. High winds continued throughout August 19, but crews had managed to slow the fire spread considerably. Evacuation advisories were lifted for Cold Springs and Bordertown. By the evening, evacuation advisories were also lifted for Chilcoot, Vinton and Loyalton, although evacuation orders remained in place for Balls Canyon Road, Long Valley Road, and Copperfield, and an evacuation advisory for Sierra Brooks. On

1950-405: Was 2,114.3 inhabitants per square mile (816.3/km ). The racial makeup of Loyalton was 601 (81.2%) White, 4 (0.5%) African American, 9 (1.2%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 45 (6.1%) from other races, and 80 (10.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 127 people (17.6%). At the 2010 census Loyalton had a population of 769. The population density

2000-421: Was 2,516.4 inhabitants per square mile (971.6/km ). There were 347 housing units at an average density of 1,013.0 units per square mile (391.1 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 94.90% White, 0.23% African American, 2.67% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.58% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.19%. Of the 323 households 38.4% had children under

2050-560: Was 21 people per square mile (8.1 people/km ). The racial makeup of Loyalton was 701 (91.2%) White, 2 (0.3%) African American, 21 (2.7%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 20 (2.6%) from other races, and 25 (3.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 108 people (14.0%). The census reported that 738 people (96.0% of the population) lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and 31 (4.0%) were institutionalized. There were 308 households, 86 (27.9%) had children under

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2100-402: Was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 34,063, and the median family income was $ 39,750. Males had a median income of $ 38,864 versus $ 23,571 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 15,732. About 20.3% of families and 18.1% of the population were below

2150-411: Was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 35,827, and the median income for a family was $ 42,756. Males had a median income of $ 36,121 versus $ 30,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 18,815. About 9.0% of families and 11.3% of the population were below

2200-570: Was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.40. There were 210 families (68.2% of households); the average family size was 2.84. The age distribution was 156 people (20.3%) under the age of 18, 55 people (7.2%) aged 18 to 24, 164 people (21.3%) aged 25 to 44, 243 people (31.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 151 people (19.6%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 46.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males. There were 371 housing units at an average density of 1,043.6 per square mile, of

2250-450: Was also unknown, was located in different places. This created a situation where a strip of land averaging 1.22 miles in width and around 31.29 square miles were under dispute, with Sierra County claiming that Nevada County was encroaching on their jurisdiction when attempting to levy property taxes . The trial court , that of Plumas County , sided with Sierra County, declaring that the disputed area had always belonged to Sierra County since

2300-653: Was found in 1853 by a group of Frenchmen in French Ravine. The 106 pound Monumental Nugget was found in Sept. 1869 at Sierra City . The Bald Mountain drift mine in Forest City was founded in Aug. 1864, and was the largest of its kind in the state at the time. The Bald Mountain Extension was located in 1874 east of Forest. The Monte Cristo Mine was located in 1854. The largest quartz-mine

2350-557: Was incorporated that same year. Loyalton is located at 39°40′36″N 120°14′35″W  /  39.67667°N 120.24306°W  / 39.67667; -120.24306 (39.676558, -120.243157). Elevation above mean sea level for the area was listed as roughly 4,930 feet (1,500 m). The city is located along California State Route 49 , the Gold Country Highway. According to the United States Census Bureau ,

2400-417: Was nearly double the overall voter turnout in the state, about 23%. There is only one traffic signal (a flashing red light at the intersection of highways 49 and 89) in Sierra County. In the winter of 2007 it was removed after an automobile accident and was replaced in the fall of 2008. Public transportation in Sierra County is limited to vans run by senior citizen agencies in Downieville and Loyalton which

2450-474: Was quickly stopped in those directions. By the evening of August 16, helped by strong winds, the fire had burned 29,828 acres (12,071 ha). Evacuation orders were expanded to Balls Canyon Road, Long Valley Road, Bordertown , Copperfield, and Cold Springs as the fire spread east into Nevada and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest . About 580 firefighters, 42 engines and 6 aircraft were on

2500-456: Was the center of considerable media attention in early 2020 when its future was uncertain with the retirement of Don Russell, who had owned and operated it for 30 years; it was saved by local retiree Carl Butz, who purchased the paper and runs it today. The Mountain Messenger is printed every Thursday by Feather Publishing Co., based in Quincy ; it is distributed across Sierra, eastern Plumas and western Nevada counties. The population ranking of

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