CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : InciWeb: Elk Complex Wildland Fire - 8,250 acres

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

InciWeb: Elk Complex Wildland Fire - 8,250 acres - 15%

Elk Complex Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED 20:28 hrs

NEWS RELEASE

Elk Complex Update 7.17.07
Contact: Incident Information, Phyllis Swanson Phone: (530) 493-1519 July 17, 2007 Protection of the town of Happy Camp is the number one priority. Yesterday good progress was made on the Little Gride... more

Elk Complex Moon
Credit: Matthew Swanson

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Summary

Numerous lightning fires within the Happy Camp Ranger District boundaries that started Wednesday, July 11, 2007.

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Lightning
Date of Origin	07/10/2007 at 00 hrs.
Location	Happy Camp Ranger District
Incident Commander	Kent Swartzlander

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1,215
Size	8,250 acres
Percent Contained	15%
Estimated Containment Date	07/29/2007 at hrs.
Fuels Involved	Mature heavy timber overstory with brush understory, large quantities of dead fuels and snags.
Fire Behavior	Moderate fire activity on the Titus, Elk and Little Grider fires due to precipitation and higher humidity. Understory burning operations proceeding well. Moderated weather allowed for burnout of lines on the Little Grider fire. Intiated action on Elk. Burnout of two miles on Titus fire.
Significant Events	Titus fire made a significant run this afternoon towards Elk Creek Rd.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Protection of Happy Camp is #1 priority. Dozer lines are being constructed on the West side of Happy Camp. Structure protection is being implemented. Outlying structures are also being protected east of the Titus Fire. Control lines are being constructed around the Titus and Kings fires. Continued firing operations on the Titus fire.
Projected Movement	12 hours: Cooler temperatures and higher RH's are expected to moderate fire behavior. There will be spread due to rollouts and short upslope runs.
Growth Potential	High
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme
Containment Target	Unknown
Remarks	Tentative transition to Dietrich's Type I team is Wednesday, July 18 at 0600. Trigger points are in place for Happy Camp. Voluntary evacuations still in place. Contingency dozer lines are being implemented.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	Not available
Current Temperature	54 degrees
Current Humidity	63 %

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