InciWeb: Elk Complex Wildland Fire - 9,085 acres acres Acres - 22% containment.

Elk Complex Wildland Fire

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INCIDENT UPDATED 2 MIN. AGO

ANNOUNCEMENT

Elk Fire Complex Community Meeting 7/24/07
There will be a community meeting regarding the Elk Fire Complex Tuesday July 24, 2007 at 7pm, held at the Happy Camp Grange Hall. Representatives from the fire management team, local ranger district and the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office will provide an overview of planned fire operations, forest closures and potential evacuation plans.

Elk Complex Fire Progression Map

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Summary

NEWS RELEASE

July 23, 2007 11:30 a.m.

At approximately 1015 a.m. on Monday, July 23, 2007, a type 2 helicopter was reported down on the Elk Fire burning within the Klamath National Forest. One fatality is confirmed and the pilot's name will be released pending family notification. The cause of the crash is under investigation and the National Transportation Safety Board has been notified. Fire crews and additional helicopter support are working to suppress a small ground fire associated with the crash.

The Elk Fire is one of 30 fires burning within the Elk Complex, Happy Camp Ranger District, Klamath National Forest. The Complex is 9,085 acres at 22% containment. Currently, there are 1,145 personnel assigned. The California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 is managing the Complex.

Additional information may be obtained by visiting http://www.inciweb.org/ or by calling (530) 841-4451.

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	1,145
Size	9,085 acres
Percent Contained	22%
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 creeping, smoldering and roll-out on steep slopes.
Significant Events	Significant progress on the burn operation on the Little Grider fire near Happy Camp. Continued direct and indirect line contruction on the northern perimeter of the Wingate fire and on the western flank of the King Creek 2 Fire in Branch 1. Established direct line on the northern flank of the Elk fire to direct fire into Marble Mountain Wilderness.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Continue firing operation in Perkins Gulch on Little Grider fire. Continue direct line contruction on Wingate, King Creek 2 and Elk fires. Brush roads in southern portion of Branch 1.
Projected Movement	12 hours: Fine fuels becoming receptive to active fire. Limited spread expected. 24 hours: Continued spread expected due to further drying of fuels and potential burnout/backfire operations. 48 hours: Continued spread expected due to further drying of fuels and potential burnout/backfire operations. 72 hours:Continued spread expected due to further drying of fuels and potential burnout/backfire operations.
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 continues. A total of fifty miles of fire line has been contructed to date. This includes twenty-three miles of dozer line and twenty-seven miles of handline and brushed roads. Fire acreages and containment: Of the thirty identified fires in the Elk Complex, 24 fires are 100% contained. The remaining six fires are as follows: Little Grider 1,952 acres-50%; Titus 2,026 acres-5%; Wingate 916 acres-5%; King Creek 2 2,895 acres-25%; Elk 1,144 acres-40%; Hummingbird 80 acres-0%.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	Not available
Current Temperature	60 degrees
Current Humidity	100 %