Bear Wallow Complex Wildland Fire Update

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Bear Wallow Complex Wildland Fire Update

Summary

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Fire Management: These fires are burning with low intensity in remote areas where there are minimal risks to communities or infrastructure. Suppression repair in the fire area will continue to be evaluated and implemented. Fire camp at the Forks of the Salmon will be moved to Whites Gulch and will be responsible for fire suppression repair. Fire in the wilderness will be managed in Fort Jones at the Scott/Salmon Ranger Station.

Fire Behavior:

· Anthony Milne Fire 1,779 ac: The fire is in the Marble Mountain Wilderness about 12 miles west of Etna, CA. Very little activity on fire. Fire will continue to be monitored by air.

· Caribou Fire 12,988 ac: The Caribou Fire is in the Trinity Alps Wilderness about six miles southeast of Cecilville. The Caribou Fire has minimal spread potential and continues to burn out interior islands of vegetation and timber stringers near rock outcrops. A little fire activity around Grizzly Butte was observed yesterday. Suppression repair work continues along the road (37N07) to the China Gulch trailhead.

· Ukonom South Fire 29,754 ac: The southern portion of the Ukonom fire is south of Wooley Creek. The active section of fire is in the Little North Fork of the Salmon. A water dropping helicopter was used to cool the interior of the fire in this area yesterday. Wildland fuels, wetted from previous rains, are starting to dry out and the lighter fuels are starting to burn. Heavier fuels are still smoldering. The winds associated with the fast moving front which will come in the area on Monday will have little effect on this area. This area is sheltered by the terrain.

Acreage is now 44,548 acres with the addition of the southern portion of the Ukonom Fire south of Wooley Creek. The containment for all 3 fires is 40%.

Fire Weather: Winds: SW 4 mph Temperatures: 87F Minimum RH: 20%

A fast moving cold front going to move through the area by Monday, however, little precipitation is predicted. Hot and dry weather will follow through Labor Day.

Closures: The Pacific Crest Trail is open. There is an area closure in the Marble Mountain Wilderness along Wooley Creek, see the map for the exact location.

· Road Closures: Forest road 37N07 to China Gulch trailhead is closed. Forest Service road 38N01 (Petersburg Road) is closed. County road 1E003 (Caribou Rd) to South Fork trailhead is closed

· Trail Closures: o South Fork Salmon Trail, the Little South Fork/Caribou Lake Trail and the two Big Flat/Caribou Lake trails are closed. o Portuguese Peak Trail from Brannon Bar trailhead to Portuguese Peak. o Wooley Creek Trail from the Salmon River Road to North Fork Camp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Lightning
Date of Origin	Saturday June 21st, 2008 aprox 04:00 PM
Location	14 miles west of Etna, CA
Incident Commander	Sid Beckman

Current Situation

Total Personnel	97
Size	44,521 acres
Percent Contained	40%
Estimated Containment Date	Tuesday September 30th, 2008 aprox 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved	Fuel Models 5,8,9 and 10 - mixed timber with brush, litter and slash.
Fire Behavior	Low intensity surface fire
Significant Events	Continue to demob of the Forks of Salmon Camp and continue with suppression repair.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Continue downsizing, suppression repair on Caribou and Ukonom, mop up and patrol, monitor fire spread within containment boundaries and check fire spread as needed.
Growth Potential	Medium
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme
Remarks	IR was received on all fires. Ukonom acres adjused down. Ukonom Fire - 29,754. Anthony Milne - 1, 779 Caribou Fire - 12,988. Should see an increase in containment after helicopter IR on Athony Milne Fire is complete. Note cost adjustment.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	3 mph NE
Current Temperature	86 degrees
Current Humidity	39 %

No comments:

How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Sunday, August 24, 2008