Nearly a week after the River Fire started, fire personnel continue to make progress on the blaze that destroyed more than 80 structures and forced thousands of people to be evacuated.

As of Tuesday night, the River Fire has been 85% contained, according to Cal Fire, and firefighters are leaving no stone unturned in an effort to fully stamp out the inferno that has already burned more than 2,600 acres in Nevada and Placer counties.

“(Fire crews) are doing what is called ‘gridding the black,’” said Cal Fire Public Information Officer Mary Eldridge. “We take crews and we span them out and they literally go over the burn area to check for anything smoldering. They are literally turning over every rock to make sure there aren’t embers or anything that could ignite the fire again.”

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The inferno, which started Aug. 4 at Bear River Campground and swept through parts of Nevada and Placer counties, has burned 2,619 acres, destroyed 88 structures and damaged another 20 structures. Two civilian injuries and two firefighter injuries have been reported.

The fire is expected to be fully contained by Friday, according to Eldridge. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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All evacuation orders in Nevada and Placer counties have been lifted for residents.

Cal Fire will continue to offer updates on the River Fire at 7 p.m. each night this week.

Walter Ford is the Sports Editor for The Union, a sister publication of the Sierra Sun. To contact him, email wford@theunion.com.