California Wildland Fires Today - 08-27-2012

  Fire Weather: RED FLAGS AND WATCHES 

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

WHAT: RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR.  

 RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 9 PM PDT TUESDAY FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR NORTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA AND NORTHWESTERN NEVADA.
WHY: GUSTY WINDS THROUGH TUESDAY, A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM NEAR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST WILL BRING DRY CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS TO NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND NORTHWEST NEVADA TUESDAY. 

WHERE: SURPRISE VALLEY CALIFORNIA - EASTERN LASSEN COUNTY - NORTHERN WASHOE COUNTY
WHEN: RED FLAG WARNING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 9 PM PDT TUESDAY.

 THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

 * AFFECTED AREA: FIRE ZONE 270 SURPRISE VALLEY CALIFORNIA / FIRE ZONE 278 EASTERN LASSEN COUNTY AND FIRE ZONE 458 NORTHERN WASHOE COUNTY. 

 * WINDS: SOUTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS 35 TO 40 MPH. 

 * HUMIDITY: 5 TO 11 PERCENT. 

 * IMPACTS: THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
WHAT:  FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR.
WHY: COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES

WHERE: SISKIYOU COUNTY FROM THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS EAST AND SOUTH TO MT SHASTA-MODOC COUNTY EXCEPT FOR THE SURPRISE VALLEY - KLAMATH BASIN AND THE FREMONT WINEMA NATIONAL FOREST - SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON DESERT INCLUDING THE BLM LAND IN EASTERN LAKE AND WESTERN HARNEY COUNTIES, FIRE ZONES 624 AND 625

WHEN: .FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING FOR COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FOR FIRE ZONES 624 AND 625. .. 

* AFFECTED AREA: FIRE ZONE 624 AND 625 

* WINDS: SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BE 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 20 MPH THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING THEN STRONGER SOUTHWEST WINDS AROUND 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 

* HUMIDITY: MINIMUM HUMIDITY WILL BE AROUND 5 TO 15 PERCENT DURING TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 

* IMPACTS: GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH. 

National Predictive Services Discussion: Strong, gusty winds and areas of low relative humidity will create critical fire weather conditions from northern California to western Montana and northern Wyoming. 

 Isolated, high-based thunderstorms are possible in the Wyoming and western Montana mountains. Widely scattered afternoon thunderstorms will also form across the central and southern Rockies and the higher elevations of Utah and Arizona.

 In the East, showers and thunderstorms will form along a weak front stretching from the Great Lakes to North Texas. Meanwhile, Hurricane Isaac will bring strong thunderstorms and heavy rain to the southern Florida as it moves through the eastern Gulf of Mexico. 

National Fire Activity
Initial attack activity: Light (98 new fires)
New large fires: 1 (*)
Large fires contained: 4
Uncontained large fires: ** 25
Area Command Teams committed: 0
NIMOs committed: 3
Type 1 IMTs committed: 6
Type 2 IMTs committed: 7
** Uncontained large fires include only fires being managed under a full suppression
strategy.

News and Notes: 

* On this day in history, August 27, 1956 - Beegum Fire. Around midnight firefighters were returning home to Redding after fighting a fire in western Shasta County. As they neared Redding on the county road, their "truck" (engine) failed to navigate a curve and went off the road. It struck several trees and the bank and broke apart.
All 4 firefighters were killed. A death certificate for one of the deceased showed August 27th as the date of death.
The modern three-point seatbelt used in most passenger vehicles was optional in Ford vehicles in 1955 and introduced as a passenger car standard in 1959 by Volvo.
To the best of our knowledge, fire trucks were not equipped with seat belts in 1956.
The four California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (now CAL FIRE) who perished: Henry A. Rucker, 23, of Redding. Colin L. Haywood, 19, of Central Valley. Francis Hackett, 40, of Redding, driver Jerome D. O'Leary, 27, of Ironwood,Michigan.
For additional information - http://www.wlfalwaysremember.org/incident-lists/330-cdf-engine-accident-beegum.html

* A fire engine was destroyed Saturday by the North Pass Fire northeast of Covelo, as its crew took safety in a pre-identified safe zone. 

California Wildfires Location Map

California Wildfires

OSCC - Southern California

Light IA over most of the GACC 

• Earthquake swarms with one registering 5.3 in the Imperial Valley near the town of Brawley. Anticipate continued aftershocks with potential for a larger scale earthquake. CAL FIRE sent three Strike Teams to town of Brawley near the Salton Sea in response.

CA-VNC- Telegraph Fire 88 acres - 95% contained
County: Ventura County
Location: Off Hwy 126 and E La Falda Way in Piru
Administrative Unit: Ventura County Fire
Date Started: August 26, 2012 8:25 am 
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ONCC - Northern California

Northern California Area (PL 5)
New fires: 13
New large fires: 0
Uncontained large fires: 8
NIMOs committed: 1
Type 1 IMTs committed: 3
Type 2 IMTs committed: 2 

* A fire engine was destroyed Saturday by the North Pass Fire northeast of Covelo, as its crew took safety in a pre-identified safe zone.
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CA-STF- Loma Fire; 57 acres, holding
Incident Overview
Wildfire burning near Highway 299 3 miles west of Del Loma California. It is believed that the fire started as the result of a vehicle accident.
 At 8:00 a.m. August 27 the Incident Commander reports that the fire is holding at about 57 acres. A hand-built containment line surrounds the fire and hose lays are complete. Highway 299 is closed due to falling rocks. Caltrans is on site and will continuously reevaluate road safety. Please click here:Caltrans for current road information.
Firefighting Resources on Scene:
Engines: 11
Hand crews (15 person) 2
Water tenders 2
Basic Information
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Believed To Result From Vehicle Accident
Date of Origin Sunday August 26th, 2012 approx. 08:16 PM
Location 3 miles west of Del Loma CA on Hwy 299
Incident Commander Jim Yacoub
Current Situation
Total Personnel 85
Size 57 acres
Fuels Involved - grass brush and timber
Fire Behavior - moderate spread rate
Outlook / Planned Actions: Fireline and hose lays completed and mop up in progress.
Growth Potential - High
Terrain Difficulty - High
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CA-NOD Rush Fire. 318,400 acres. 69% contained.
The fire continues to creep and smolder with some interior burning observed. Crews are improving fire lines, mopping up and making reairs to suppression actions. — The Rush fire started about 15 miles southeast of Ravendale, Calif., on Aug. 12. It now has burned an area measuring 42 miles long and 16 miles wide and is completely east of U.S. Highway 395.

  Creeping and smoldering. Structures threatened. Reduction in acreage due to more accurate
mapping. 

Basic Information: 
Incident Command: Northern California District, BLM. IMT 1 (Turman). 

Location: Fifteen miles southeast of Ravendale, CA. 

Fuels: Juniper and brush.
Cause Lightning
Date of Origin Sunday August 12th, 2012 approx. 06:42 PM
Location 15 miles SE of Ravendale, California
Incident Commander Turman
Current Situation
Total Personnel 753
Size 318,400 acres
Percent Contained 69%
Estimated Containment Date Thursday August 30th, 2012 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved: Grass, sagebrush, junipers (5 Brush - 2 Feet)
Fire Behavior: On Sunday, firefighters saw the fire creeping and smoldering within the interior of the fire.
Significant Events: Firefighters faced wind gusts of more than 30 miles per hour, but as of 6 p.m. Sunday, the fire perimeter did not grow.
Outlook / Planned Actions - On Monday, crews will continue to secure and mop up within the fire line. Supression repairs will contine everywhere except in the northeast part of the fire.
Growth Potential - High
Terrain Difficulty - High
Remarks: The new acreage figure is the result of more precise mapping. The fire has burned 273,248 acres in California and 42,844 acres in Nevada. The following resources are assigned to the fire: 753 firefighters and support people, 5 helicopters, 44 engines, 15 bulldozers, and 22 water tenders. The diffucult terrain along the southern part of the northeast flank is proving to be tough to contain.
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CA-TGU Poderosa Fire. 27,676 acres. 85% contained.

 No fire behavior was observed over night. Fire line suppression repair is under way. The interior islands have consumed a majority of the available fuels. Heat signatures are still present in the drainages that are in alingment with the winds (Red Flag Warning-winds). No significant (extreme) or moderate fire behavior was observed this operational period. The protection of life and property remains the foremost priority and concern. Given the Red Flag Warning, each Division will be patrolling for flare ups and new spot fires outside the containment lines. In addition, mop-up continues to reinforce 300 feet inside the containment lines. Identification and mitigation of hazard and fire weakened trees near structures and roads is continuing. Fire line suppression repair is actively working to repair damaged caused by suppression actions.  

A Red Flag Warning remains in effect until 10 p.m. tonight. A fire weather watch is forcasted beginning Tuesday for winds and low relative humidity.

Evacuations: All evacuation orders and road closures have been lifted for residents and property owners with the fire's perimeter.
All road closures (except those within the fire's perimeter) have been lifted.

Conditions: Repairs to damage caused by firefighting efforts continue to be made throughout the fire area. Fire damaged trees exist and may present a hazard. Two destroyed bridges on Rock Creek Road have been identified. We urge the public to use caution on roadways around the fire area while fire crews are still present.

Basic Information

Incident Command: Ponderosa, Tehama-Glenn Unit, Cal Fire. Cal Fire IMT 1 (Kaslin).

Location: Two miles east of Manton, CA. 

Fuels: Timber. Minimal fire activity. Numerous structures threatened.
Date/Time Started: August 18, 2012 11:37 am
Administrative Unit: CAL FIRE Tehama-Glenn Unit
County: Tehama & Shasta Counties
Location: Off Ponderosa Way, southeast of Manton
Acres Burned: 27,676 acres
Containment 27,676 acres - 85% contained. (Full containment expected tomorrow.)

Structures Destroyed: 52 residences & 90 outbuildings destroyed
Threatened: 300 residences, 10 commercial properties and 30 outbuildings remain threatened.
Injuries: 4
Cause: Lightning
Cooperating Agencies: CAL FIRE, Tehama and Shasta County Sheriff, CHP, CDCR, CAL TRANS, SPI, PG&E
Total Fire Personnel: 1,901 (1,554 CAL FIRE)
Engines: 132 (91 CAL FIRE)
Fire crews: 55 CAL FIRE
Helicopters: 5
Dozers: 9 (3 CAL FIRE)
Water tenders: 39
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CA-KNF Fort Complex Fire. 13,095 acres. 25% contained.

(3 fires), 12 hour Evacuation Notice was issued this morning at 9:00am, August 27, 2012 for Seiad Valley, CA by the Siskiyou County Sheriff.

There is a heightened threat to property in the Seiad Valley.

The initial 24 Pre-evacuation Notice was announced August 26, 2012 at a 6pm public meeting at the Seiad Valley, California. The public meeting included updates by fire management and Siskiyou County officials on fire management strategy, fire behavior, weather, as well as questions and answers on the pre-evacuation notice

 Topography is making access difficult with steep terrain and snags from the 1987 burn. There are smoke impacts to the Applegate Lake recreation area and the Klamath River community with concern for public health.

 Late successional reserve (LSR)and T&E species in the Seiad/Baker Botanical area are threatened as well as a critical archeological site. 

Social concerns also include maintaining tribal relations. 

There is an existing closure of the road and trail system surrounding the Red Butte Wilderness as well as a closure of the Pacific Crest and Boundary Trails  Fort Complex  Incident Command: Klamath NF. NIMO (Kleinman)

Location:. Ten miles northwest of Happy Camp, CA. 

Fuels: Timber.
Notes / Concerns: Backing fire. Structures threatened. Road and trail closures in effect.
. The Goff Fire is now 11,712 acres and 15 percent contained. Management of the Goff Fire is being handled by a National Incident Management Organization or NIMO Team. There is a current closure of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Highway 96 to Lily Pad lake. Please visit the Klamath National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/klamath for complete closure information. Keep checking back here for Goff Fire information updates. Command of the Hello and Lick Fires has been transferred back to the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. No additional updates on the Fruit or Lick Fires are expected unless conditions change. The total acerage of the three fires that are within the Fort Complex is 13,095 acres (Goff Fire - 11,712 acres; Hello Fire - 977 acres; Lick Fire - 403 acres). The overall containment of the Fort Complex is 25 percent.
 PUBLIC USE RESTRICTIONS AND TR AIL AND ROAD CLOSURES:
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest Fire Prevention Public Use Restriction
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest Trail and Road Closures
Klamath National Forest Trail and Road Closures
Pacific Crest Trail Closed Due to Goff Fire
Basic Information
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Lightning
Date of Origin Sunday August 05th, 2012 approx. 07:00 PM
Location Complex of 3 fires in CA; the Goff Fire near Seiad, CA; the Hello & Lick Fires-2 mi. SW of Apple
Incident Commander Dan Kleinman
Current Situation
Total Personnel 528
Size 11,712 acres
Percent Contained 15%
Estimated Containment Date Thursday August 30th, 2012 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved: The Fort Complex Fires are burning in brush, timber and timber understory.
Fire Behavior: It continues to be a backing fire accelerated by rollout of down logs.
Significant Events: The fire continues to approach Seiad Valley. A public meeting was held in Seiad last night, August 26, 2012 with approximately 100 local residents attending. Information was presented by fire managers and Siskiyou County officials on status of the fire, weather influences, fire behavior and the pre-evacuation notice for Seiad Valley.Fire has crossed to the east side of the Pacific Crest Trail and is established above Seiad Valley increasing the threat to private property and residences. The Pacific Crest Trail is closed from Highway 96 to Lily Pad Lake. The National Boundary Trail is also closed. Smoke impacts will vary depending on wind direction and other fires.
Outlook / Planned Actions - GOFF FIRE - Continue structure protection preparations for Seiad Valley.
Growth Potential - The growth potential for the GOFF FIRE is high.
Terrain Difficulty - The Goff Fire is burning in extreme terrain.
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CA-SHF Bagley Fire. 24,413 acres. 20% contained. 

Firefighters continue to battle the Bagley Fire burning in a remote area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, approximately seven miles west of the community of Big Bend, CA, and 17 miles south of McCloud, CA. on both public and private land.

 The fire burned actively on 8/26, making runs in heavy timber and brush with moderate rates of spread, torching, spotting and the roll out of burning materials on steep slopes. Line construction, burnout and holding continue.

Incident Command: Bagley, Shasta-Trinity NF. IMT 2 (Whitcome). 

Location: Seven miles west of Big Bend, CA. 

Fuels/Behavior: Timber. Active fire behavior
with torching and spotting. 

Concerns: Structures and high voltage power lines threatened.
Notice: There will be a community meeting tonight, Monday August 27 at 6:00 p.m. at the McCloud Elementary School at 332 Hamilton Way in McCloud. Fire officials will be on hand to update the community on the Bagley Fire.
Smoke: Due to upper level winds coming out of the south - southwest, smoke from the Bagley Fire may continue to impact the areas around McCloud, Mt. Shasta City, and Dunsmuir over the next several days. There is no danger to these areas from the fire itself.
Incident Overview: The fire has grown to 24,413 acres, and is 20 percent contained. The fire is burning in an area containing heavy concentrations of dry timber, brush fields and steep slopes. Existing conditions along with overnight weather, increased fire activity within the perimeter. Today firefighters will continue with the construction of indirect fireline and firing operations when appropriate.
 The construction of indirect firelines is a tactic implemented in order to reduce the amount of flammable material between the fires edge and control lines. At this time no structures are immediately threatened; however, high-value private timberlands and electrical power infrastructure are at risk.
 The Shasta-Trinity National Forest has placed an Emergency Closure Order for all land in the fire area. Please see the closure map of the affected areas.
 All Shasta-Trinity National Forest recreation facilities within the closure area, including Deadlun and Madrone Campgrounds are closed. The PG&E operated Hawkin's Landing Campground is also closed. Highway 299 East, Big Bend Road and Forest Service 34N17 Road (commonly known as Fender's Ferry Road) remain open. Motorists are advised to drive with caution.
Basic Information
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Lightning
Date of Origin Saturday August 18th, 2012 approx. 10:07 AM
Location 7 miles west of Big Bend CA
Incident Commander Whitcome
Current Situation
Total Personnel 1,193
Size 24,413 acres
Percent Contained 20%
Estimated Containment Date Wednesday September 05th, 2012 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved: Timber litter and understory, brush and hardwood stands intermixed. Fire area has conifer, brush, hardwood stands, logging slash, and pine plantations. High live to dead ratio in brush exists and conifer stands have a heavy loading of dead/down material.
Fire Behavior: Active overnight below inversion.
Outlook / Planned Actions: Continue to scout, construct, burnout and hold direct and indirect line.
Growth Potential - Extreme
Terrain Difficulty - Extreme
Current Weather
Wind Conditions 8 mph SW
Temperature 64 degrees
Humidity 50%
 Additional Information: Additional fire information can be obtained by calling (800) 923-7316.
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CA-PNF Chips Fire. 68,582 acres. 65% contained.

 Good progress was made overnight as all lines held in breezy conditions. Fire behavior is expected to moderate today as winds subside. Crews continue to hold fire lines, mop up and make suppression repair as needed. Chips, Plumas NF. IMT 1 (Opliger). Twenty miles northwest of Quincy, CA. Timber and brush. Extreme fire
behavior with spotting. Communities threatened.

   Community Meeting: A community meeting will be held tonight, August 27, at 6:00 p.m. at the Hamilton Branch Fire Station, 6791 Big Springs Road, Westwood, California.
 Evacuations and Closures:  No changes have occurred to evacuations at this time.

Mandatory Evacuation of the communities of Canyon Dam, Big Meadows, and Seneca. Advisement for Prattville. Rush Crk rd.from Hwy 70 is open to residents only. 

 The Chester Memorial Hall is open as an evacuation center. 

 The Plumas County Sheriff's Department continues to enforce Mandatory Evacuations for the communities of Canyon Dam and the Big Meadows area. A Voluntary Evacuation is in place for Rush Creek, and an Advisory is in effect for Prattville residents for the potential threat of the fire to the area.

 The Plumas and Lassen National Forests continue to maintain area Closures within and surrounding the Chips fire area. 

Hikers and equestrians: Pacific Crest Trail: The PCT is officially closed from Three Lakes (in the Bucks Lake Wilderness) on the Plumas National Forest northbound to the Cold Spring trailhead at the Humbug Road (Plumas County Road 307) on the Lassen National Forest. Additionally, using the Caribou Road (Forest Route 27N26) is prohibited, as the area is also officially closed. Travelers are advised to avoid travel on the portion of the PCT from Bucks Summit, north to Hwy 36. In order to re-route themselves most expeditiously, at Bucks Summit, northbound trail users may travel on Plumas County Road 414 east to Quincy, pick up Highway 70/89 to Chester and then Highway 36 west to resume the trail. Southbound travelers may reverse the process.

 Hikers may also use Plumas County Transit between Quincy and Chester, available weekdays only. The transit schedule can be found at http://www.plumastransit.com/qcy to chester 23.html
 For complete closure information, including a map of the Plumas National Forest Closure, please go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/plumas/alerts-notices aid=13861
 For complete closure information, including a map of the Lassen National Forest Closure, please go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/lassen/alerts-notices
Chips Fire Update
August 27 8:00 A.M.
Location: Plumas and Lassen National Forests
Date started: July 29, 2012 Cause: Under investigation
Size: 68,582 acres Containment: 65%
Personnel: 1,502 (Crews: 19 Type 1, 11 Type 2; Helicopters: 4 Type 1, 3 Type 2, 2 Type 3; Engines: 140; Dozers: 15; Water Tenders: 42)
Management: California Interagency Incident Management Team 4
Fire Status: No new spots were identified on the fire last night. Firefighters continued to patrol containment lines around the fire perimeter while crews mopped-up control lines up to 200 feet into the interior of the burn area.  Firefighters will continue mopping-up into the burn area, cold trailing control lines up to 300 feet into the interior. "Cold trailing" is the process of working within the fire area and feeling the ground for hot spots, which will continue to smolder and burn until cooled down with dirt or water. This is a time consuming process of walking and crawling around the fire area to feel for heat in stumps, roots and rocks until all areas are cold. Because this fire has spread by throwing embers and igniting spot fires up to a mile away, the mop-up phase will be a critical component of securing control lines.
 Winds will moderate in the fire area today back to seasonal averages, between 5-10 miles per hour with gusts up to 25 miles per hour on ridge tops.
 Aerial resources will be working the fire area again after having been grounded yesterday due to the gusting winds. Helicopters and air tankers will support suppression efforts on the ground by dumping water on spot fires, accessing areas that are unsafe for firefighters to work in, and blanketing retardant around containment lines to limit spot fires. Helicopters have aided in control efforts on the west flank of the fire as crews continue the painstaking work of constructing hand line in difficult terrain while also mopping-up control lines.
 A new unit of firefighters has been formed and will be entirely dedicated to rehabilitating bulldozer lines and other ground disturbances that resulted from fire suppression efforts. This group will continue efforts until containment of the fire is reached.
Smoke: Smoke will continue to be present in the fire area and surrounding communities. With several large fires in the area contributing to lower air quality, residents can experience eye irritation, respiratory issues and aggravated heart and lung health problems. These can impact children and older adults more severely. Residents are encouraged to get more information on air quality in their area by visiting: http://airnow.gov/index.cfm action=airnow.local state&stateid=5&tab=0
Additional Fire Information: Call (530) 283-3593 and (530) 283-3288 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Basic Information
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Under Investigation
Date of Origin Sunday July 29th, 2012 approx. 01:57 AM
Location 20 miles NW of Quincy, CA
Incident Commander Rocky W. Opliger
Current Situation
Total Personnel 1,502
Size 68,582 acres
Percent Contained 65%
Estimated Containment Date Friday August 31st, 2012 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved - 10 Timber (litter and understory) low brush with numerous dead and down 1000 hour logs and standing snags. FM10 is most representative of the fuels and the observed fire behavior.
Fire Behavior - Fire behavior expected to moderate after a day of increased winds, The East side of the fire was very active. Fire behavior will moderate overnight under lighter winds and successful firing operations.
Significant Events - Good progress made overnight night, all lines held.
Outlook / Planned Actions: Mop up, patrol,and suppresion repair. Hold fire lines, suppress spot fires.
Growth Potential - Extreme
Terrain Difficulty - Extreme
Remarks: Type 1 helicopters are essential to minimize fire spread and support ground troops in direct line construction.PG&E crews are repairing poles on the Caribou-Westwood line and the lines from Butt valley dam to the North fork of the Feather river. Total burned acres are at 68,582. Plumas NF burned acres 41,907, Lassen NF 18,415, SRA burned acres 8260.
Current Weather
Wind Conditions 28 mph SW
Temperature 88 degrees
Humidity 14%
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CA-MNF North Pass Fire. 31,650 acres. 32% contained.

 The fire burned actively on 8/26 with a moderate rate of spread and numerous spot fires detected.There are road and Forest closures and evacuations in effect in an extended area around the fire. North Pass, Mendocino NF. IMT 2 (Wakoski). Twenty-five miles northeast of Covelo, CA. Timber and logging
slash. Crown runs and spotting. Structures and communications site threatened.

* A fire engine was destroyed Saturday by the North Pass Fire northeast of Covelo, as its crew took safety in a pre-identified safe zone

 Evacuations and area closures in effect.

Closures and Evacuations: Indian Dick Road (USFS Road M1), all residences in the Indian Dick Road (USFS Rd M1), Mendocino Pass Rd (FH7) North to the Trinity County line and East to the Tehama County line. 

This order also includes all residences and USFS campsites at Howard Lake Campground, Little Doe Campground, and Hammerhorn Lake Campground and all USFS Wilderness Trailheads at Blands Cove, Hell Hole, Stick Lake, Foster Glade, Asa Bean, Rock Cabin, Georges Valley, Soldier Ridge, Smokehouse Ridge, and Green Springs. Blands Cove Road from the start of the Traveler's Home Trail Head, North to the Trinity County line. Mendocino Pass Road, (FH7) North and South of the highway from the Eel River work center East to the Tehama/Glenn County line, including Bauer Ranch subdivision and Forest Service campgrounds. Forest Highway 7 is a primary route between Willows (Sacramento Valley) and the inland communities of Covelo and Round Valley. Forest Closure Order for the northern two-thirds of the Covelo Ranger District.

Incident Overview
The Pass Fire (now called North Pass) started on Saturday August 18, 2012 at approximately 2:47 a.m. The fire is in Williams Valley 10 miles north east of Covelo. The fire is actively burning in heavy timber moving northeast into the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness. Extreme fire behavior (crowning, torching and long range spotting) have been observed in the afternoons. Firefighters both on the ground and in the air are actively fighting the fire with 1,287 people committed to that effort.
 Effective 6:00 a.m. on August 21, 2012, Southern California Interagency Incident Management Team 3 assumed command of the fire. Current management of the fire is under Unified Command between CAL FIRE and US Forest Service. (USFS) The Incident Command Post is located at the Round Valley Airport. Please be aware of increased fire traffic in the area.
Basic Information
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Lightning
Date of Origin Saturday August 18th, 2012 approx. 02:47 AM
Location 10 miles NE of Covelo in Williams Valley
Incident Commander Mike Wakoski / Norm Brown
Current Situation
Total Personnel 1,708
Size 31,650 acres
Percent Contained 32%
Estimated Containment Date Friday September 07th, 2012 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved - Fuels within the fire area include grass, mixed conifer stands with an understory of shrubs, litter or grass. There are also areas of brush. There is no recorded fire history for the north side of the fire. ERC's and live fuel moistures are at critical levels.
Fire Behavior - Aggressive fire behavior with crown fire runs and short/intermediate range spotting.
Significant Events: Fire activity continued along Division Y (south-southeast side) with runs toward Anthony Ridge. A slopover below Anthony Ridge continues to grow and has been burning through retardant. Multiple other spots are occuring , but are being held within contingency lines. Division C (north side of the fire) exhibited moderate to rapid rates of spread with single and group tree torching. The eastern portion of Division "C" is unstaffed due to lack of appropriate resource availability. Divisions A/B/Z (west/southwest sides of the fire) continue to be in mop up & patrol status. Assessment of structure losses ongoing. The northern portion of the fire continues to burn towards Hammerhorn lake, Foster Glade, and Asa Bean and eastward towards Forest Road M-2. 

Outlook / Planned Actions: Strengthen and prepare fire lines along Divisions W and X (Forest Road M-2)for future firing and holding. Continue direct attack on spot fires and slopovers along Division Y (Anthony Ridge). Continue holding operations on Division C (north side of the fire). Continue mop up (cooling the fire)and patrol in Divisions A/B/Z (west and southwest areas of the fire). Continue contingency line location and scouting and construction to the south of Forest Highway 7. Locate and plan for future spike camp locations. Scout locations north of Hammerhorn Ridge for opportunities to retard fire spread in the wilderness.

Growth Potential - Extreme fire behavior with continued spread to the North, South and East.
Terrain Difficulty - Extreme difficulty due to steep canyons and slopes.
Remarks: The fire is being managed in Unified Command (Wakoski/Brown). Current acreage is: 76% Federal and 24% SRA.
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CFN - California Fire News 2012 

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