CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : InciWeb: Elk Complex Wildland Fire - 12,385 acres

Sunday, July 29, 2007

InciWeb: Elk Complex Wildland Fire - 12,385 acres - 66% containment.

InciWeb: Elk Complex Wildland Fire:

Elk Complex Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED 2 MIN. AGO

Credit: Elk Complex

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Summary

Total Complex Acreage: 12,385 acres

Total Complex Containment: 66%

Expected Full Containment: 8/05/2007

Incident Resources: 1,123 personnel

Cost to Date: $13,691,417

Injuries to Date (minor): 13

Fatalities to Date: 1

Lower humidity yesterday afternoon allowed for improved burning conditions on the eastern flanks of the King Creek 2/Wingate/Titus fires. The three fires have burned together and are now one fire. Today, crews will continue burning with the assistance of aerial resources. Crews will also staff the Elk Fire after observing increased fire activity yesterday. Firefighters will continue patrolling and mopping up the Little Grider Fire.

A remembrance ceremony was conducted yesterday morning to honor firefighters and camp employees who have perished on the Happy Camp Ranger District over the last twenty years. The ceremony was attended by 1,100 Firefighters, Forest Service personnel and Happy Camp area residents.

There will be a community meeting at the Happy Camp Grange on Tuesday July 31, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. Presentations include updates from the Happy Camp District Ranger and the Elk Complex Incident Commander.

Complex Fire Details

Of the thirty identified fires in the Elk Complex, 25 are 100% contained. The contained 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 Fires (8,420 acres) 36% contained. Firelines have been constructed and burnouts continue. 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.
Elk Fire (1,144 acres) 96% contained.
Hummingbird Fire (80 acres) 0% contained. The fire remains in aerial patrol.

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/conditions/ for information on fire restrictions and local closures.

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	1,123
Size	12,385 acres
Percent Contained	66%
Estimated Containment Date	08/05/2007 at hrs.
Fuels Involved	Mature heavy timber overstory with brush understory, large quantities of dead fuels and snags.
Fire Behavior	Active fire behavior with isolated torching, creeping and rollout on steep slopes.
Significant Events	Continued to secure line burned on previous days. Improved conditions yesterday allowed burn operations to continue on the eastern flank of King Creek 2/Wingate/Titus Fire. A small slop over occured on the Elk Fire yesterday. A memorial in remembrance for the fallen firefighters was conducted Saturday at dawn.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Continue burn operation on the Wingate/Titus/King Creek 2 fire with interior aerial ignition operations. Evaluate futher burn operations in Branch IV. Secure the line burned in previous days. Brush roads in southern portion of Branch IV. Contain slop over on the northwest flank of the Elk Fire.
Projected Movement	12 hours: Continued spread expected due to further drying of fuels and potential burnout/backfire operations. 24 hours: Potential for re-burn in areas wetted by previous rain event as drying continues. Short range spotting activity could increase fire spread. 48 hours: Potential for re-burn in areas wetted by previous rain event as drying continues. Short range spotting activity could increase fire spread. 72 hours: Potential for re-burn in areas wetted by previous 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 seventy-seven miles of fire line has been constructed to date. This includes twenty-eight miles of dozer line and forty-nine 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 Wingate/Titus/King Creek 2 Fire. Fire acreage and containment: Of the thirty identified fires in Elk Complex, 25 fires are 100% contained. The remaining fires are as follows: Kings Creek 2/Wingate/Titus 8,420 acres-36% (increase in acreage due to burn operations); Elk 1,144 acres-96%; Hummingbird 80 acres-0%.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	1 mph N
Current Temperature	56 degrees
Current Humidity	90 %

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