CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : InciWeb: Elk Complex Wildland Fire - 10,244 acres

Thursday, July 26, 2007

InciWeb: Elk Complex Wildland Fire - 10,244 acres - 51% containment.

Elk Complex Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED 3 HRS. AGO

Elk Complex Area Map
Credit:InciWeb

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Summary

ELK FIRE COMPLEX UPDATE

July 26, 2007

Total Complex Acreage: 10,244 acres Incident Resources: 1,279 personnel

Total Complex Containment: 51% Expected Full Containment: 7/29/2007

Cost to Date: $10,994,617 Injuries to Date (minor): 9

Structures Threatened: 550 Fatalities to Date: 1

Crews will continue patrolling and mopping up the perimeter of the Little Grider. Smoke will continue to be produced as fuels burn within the interior. Suppression efforts continue on the five remaining uncontained fires. The protection of Happy Camp and Elk Creek communities remains a top priority.

Burnout and line construction activities continue on the Wingate/Titus/King Creek 2 with excellent results on the north and northeast corner of the fire. These actions are considered critical in order to secure the northern and eastern portion of the fire. To date, a total of 62 miles of fireline has been constructed consisting of 27 miles of dozer line and 35 miles of handline and brushed roads. A six mile portion of the Klamath River will be used as a west flank containment line for the fires.

Complex Fire Details

Of the thirty identified fires in the Elk Complex, 25 are 100% contained. The fires will continue to be monitored, patrolled and staffed as safety, resources and access permit. The remaining five fires are as follows:

Wingate/Titus/King Creek 2 (7,008 acres) 28% contained. Line construction continued on the fire. A recommended evacuation for homeowners and closure for campers and miners, from Five Mile Bridge to Norcross Campground on Elk Creek Road remains in place. Firelines have been constructed and burnouts continue.
Elk Fire (1,144 acres) 96% contained

Hummingbird Fire (80 acres) 0% contained.

Evacuation Planning:

The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department has prepared an evacuation plan in the event evacuation becomes necessary. Individuals with special needs, such as mobility assistance, should notify the Sheriff's Department ahead of time.

Sources of info include: http://www.inciweb.org/ (including other fires) or the incident information office at (530) 841-4451. Visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/klamath/condition/ for information on fire restrictions and local closures.

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Basic Information

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

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1,279
Size	10,244 acres
Percent Contained	51%
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	Slow moving fire with isolated torching, creeping, smoldering and roll-out on steep slopes.
Significant Events	Burnout on he northern flank of the wingate fire completed down to the Klamath River and south to Windy Gap on the northeast perimeter.Continued burnout operation on the eastern flank of the Wingate fire moving south towards Titus fire

Outlook

Planned Actions	Continue burn operation on eastern flank of the Titus fires in Branch I. Continues direct line construction on eastern perimeterwhere feasible to minimize fire size and reduce costs. Brush roads in southern portion of Branch I. Support Forest Service Accident Investigation Team on Norcross incident.
Projected Movement	12 hours: Continued spread expected due to futher drying of fuels and potential bounout/backfire operations. 24 hours: Continued spread expected due to further drying of fuels and potential burnout/backfire operations 48 hours: Potential for re-burn in areas wetted by previos rain event as drying continues. Short range spotting activity could increase fire spread 72 hours:Potential for re-burn in areas wetted by previos rain event as drying continues. Short range spotting activity could increase fire spread.
Growth Potential	High
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme
Containment Target	Likely to meet objectives based on current weather projections.
Remarks	Expect an increase in containment as direct strategy and burnout continues. A total of sixty-two miles of fire line has been constructed to date. This includes twenty-seven miles of dozerline and thirty-five miles of handline and brushed roads. A six mile portion of the klamath River will be used as a west flank containment line for Wingate/Titus/King Creek2 fires. Fire acreage and containment: of the identified fires in the Elk Complex,25 fires are 100% contained. The remaining fires are as follows: Wingate/Titus/KingCreek2 7,008 acres-28%, Elk 1,144 acres-96%,Hummingbird 80 acres-0%. Elk fire and Hummingbird fire are in aerial patrol.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	Not available
Current Temperature	60 degrees
Current Humidity	80 %

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