Quick Look: California Wildfires Today 8-20-12 #CaFire

Map of California Wildfire Locations, Perimeters and Hot Spots

 National Fire Activity
Initial attack activity: Light (153 new fires)
New large fires: 7 (*)
Large fires contained: 5
Uncontained large fires: ** 35
Area Command Teams committed: 1
NIMOs committed: 2
Type 1 IMTs committed: 9
Type 2 IMTs committed: 13
** Uncontained large fires include only fires being managed under a full suppression
strategy.

Four MAFFS C-130 aircraft and support personnel from the 302nd Airlift Wing, Colorado Springs (US Air Force Reserve), and the 153rd Airlift Wing, Cheyenne (Wyoming Air National Guard) are supporting wildland fire suppression operations out of Boise, ID. One MAFFS from the 145th Airlift Wing, Charlotte (North Carolina Air National Guard), along with one MAFFS from the 146th Airlift Wing, Channel Islands (California Air National Guard) are supporting wildland fire suppression operations out of Sacramento, CA.

Weather: NWS Current Fire Weather Watches / Warnings 

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE 

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 526 AM PDT MON AUG 20 2012

 GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

 AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST WILL MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS OREGON ON TUESDAY AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL IMPACT NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND WESTERN NEVADA ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 

GUSTY WINDS COMBINED WITH LOW HUMIDITY MAY CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. 

LOCATION:  SURPRISE VALLEY CALIFORNIA - WESTERN LASSEN - EASTERN PLUMAS - EASTERN SIERRA - EASTERN NEVADA COUNTIES - GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA - EASTERN LASSEN COUNTY - WESTERN NEVADA SIERRA FRONT - WEST CENTRAL NEVADA BASIN AND RANGE - NORTHERN WASHOE COUNTY

TIMIMG: FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND NORTHWEST NEVADA.

AFFECTED AREA: FIRE ZONE 270 SURPRISE VALLEY CALIFORNIA, FIRE ZONE 271 WESTERN LASSEN - EASTERN PLUMAS - EASTERN SIERRA - EASTERN NEVADA COUNTIES, FIRE ZONE 272 GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA, FIRE ZONE 278 EASTERN LASSEN COUNTY, FIRE ZONE 450 WESTERN NEVADA SIERRA FRONT, FIRE ZONE 453 WEST CENTRAL NEVADA BASIN AND RANGE AND FIRE ZONE 458 NORTHERN WASHOE COUNTY. 

WINDS: WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS 30 TO 35 MPH. 

MINIMUM HUMIDITY: 7 TO 15 PERCENT EXCEPT 13 TO 20 PERCENT IN THE TAHOE BASIN. 

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

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS:  A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE. CHECK WEATHER.GOV/RENO FOR UPDATES AND POSSIBLE RED FLAG WARNINGS.

California Wildfires Today

OSCC
Southern California Area (PL 3)
New fires: 39
New large fires: 0
Uncontained large fires: 2
Type 2 IMTs committed: 2 

News and Notes: IMT SoCAL #3 (Wakoski) Team is being mobilized to the North Ops and will be assigned to the North Pass fire in Mendocino.

 CA-STF-Ramsey Fire;, 1,137 acres, 95%.

 CA-STF-002954, Stanislaus NF. Transfer of command from IMT 2 (Cooper) back to the local unit will occur today. Eight miles east of Dorrington, CA. Timber. Smoldering. Reduction in acreage due to more accurate mapping. Central Sierra ICMT Cooper has been released from the Ramsey fire.

 CA-CDD- Jawbone Complex; 12,0128 acres, 98%.

 CA-CDD-11542, Jawbone Complex, California Desert District, BLM. Transfer of command from IMT 2 (Truett) back to the local unit will occur today. 

Eighteen miles northeast of Tehachapi, CA. Hardwood slash and brush. Smoldering.

 SoCal ICMT #2 Truett has been released from the, Jawbone Complex. SoCal #2 should be available on 8/22. Fire transitioned to a type 3 organization at 0600 8/20.

CA-ANF- Copco Fire; 145 acres, 100%.

CA-ANF- 004462, 

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ONCC
Northern California Area (PL 4)
New fires: 38
New large fires: 1
Uncontained large fires: 13
NIMOs committed: 1
Type 1 IMTs committed: 5
Type 2 IMTs committed: 4 

News and Notes: The August 20 Smoke Impact Summary for Northern California Fires has been posted to the ONC Website.

HI-Kauai County Poki'i Ridge Fire. 1,200 acres. 

Poki’i Ridge, Kauai County. 

Location: One mile north of Kekaha, HI. 

Fuels: Brush and grass.

Fire Behavior: Warm temperatures and breezy conditions are control problems. 

Concerns: Road closures in effect. 
Note: Was formerly the Kekaha Fire 12. 

CA-TGU Ponderosa Fire. 15,000 acres. 5%.
Tehama-Glenn Unit, Cal Fire. Cal Fire IMT 1 (Kaslin).

Two miles east of Manton, CA. 

Fuels: Timber. 

Extreme fire behavior with torching and spotting. 

Concerns: Communities, natural gas lines and power lines threatened. Evacuations and road closures in effect.

Fire Behavior: Increased fire activity in the late afternoon hours where the drainages and wind align. Excessive rates of spread, spotting and dry fuels are control issues.

CA-SHU- August Lightning Fire. 201 acres. 85%.

Shasta-Trinity Unit, Cal Fire. 

Location: Twenty-five miles east of Redding, CA.

Fuels: Timber.   
Fire Behavior:  Dry fuels and spotting are control problems. 

Note: Reduction in acreage due to more accurate mapping. No further information received.  

CA-SHF- Bagley Complex Fire. 260 acres. 0%.

Shasta-Trinity NF. IMT 2 (Whitcome).

Location:  Seven miles west of Big Bend, CA. 

Fuels: Timber. 

Fire Behavior: Active fire behavior with spotting and short crown runs. Active surface fire, facilitated mainly by roll out of burning materials on steep slopes. 

Concerns: 

Note: Was formerly the Fork Bagley Fire. 

CA-PNF- Chips Fire. 47,040 acres. 32%.
 Plumas NF. IMT 1 (Opliger). The fire behavior moderated throughout the evening.
New Evacuations and road closures in effect.  

• Mandatory Evacuation of Prattville is now in effect. 
• Mandatory Evacuation still in effect for Canyon Dam and Big Meadows area. 
• Voluntary Evacuation is in place for Almanor. 
•  An Advisory is in effect to all West Almanor and East Shore residents (Hwy. 147) advising of the potential threat of the fire to the areas. 

Evacuation Center is located at the Chester Memorial Hall on Gay Street. Stay tuned to media advisements and monitor the Plumas County website for updated information.

 For Evacuation Center information call (530) 283-3593.

 Due to current weather conditions and fire behavior the following Road Closures, Evacuation Orders and Sheriff's Advisement are in effect.

Evacuation Orders

• Sheriff's Mandatory Evacuation- Caribou Road from Hwy 70 to the Butt Lake Dam
• Sheriff's Mandatory Evacuation- Butt Lake Area, Ohio Valley, Humbug and Humboldt Area, and Yellow Creek Area.
• Sheriff's Mandatory Evacuations- Seneca.
• Sheriff's Mandatory Evacuation- Canyon Dam and Big Meadows.
• -Sheriff's Mandatory Evacuation- Prattville.

Sheriff's Voluntary Evacuation

• Almanor
• Rush Creek Road evacuation has been lifted to Voluntary status.

Sheriff's Advisement

• Hwy 70 from Tobin to Twain.
• Almanor West

Highway Closures: 

• Caribou Road to Butt Lake Dam from Highway 70- "Hard Closure"
• Rush Creek Road from Highway 70 - Open to residents only.
• All additional secondary roads North of Highway 70 between Rock Creek Dam and Twain from Highway 70- "Soft Closures"
• Seneca Road from Highway 89 - "Hard Closure"
• Butt Lake Dam, Ohio Valley Road, Butt Lake Road, Humbug/Humboldt Road and all additional secondary roads West of Highway 89 between Canyon Dam and the Humbug/Humboldt Road from Highway 89- "Hard Closure".
• Hwy 89 between Butt Lake Road and Hwy 147- "Hard Closure"
• Lake Almanor Drive West between Butt Lake/Prattville Road and Hwy. 89- "Hard Closure"

Location: Twenty miles northwest of Quincy, CA.

Fuels: Timber and brush. 

Fire Behavior: Moderate fire activity with spotting. 

Concerns: Communities and power lines threatened.

CA-NOD- Nelson (W-1) Fire. 3,750 acres. 85%. 

Nelson (W-1), Northern California District, BLM. 

Location:Two miles northeast of Likely, CA.

Fuels: Juniper and brush. 

Fire Behavior: Smoldering. Interior smoldering was observed fire behavior. 

CA-NOD- Rush Fire. 270,683 acres. 50% contained.

Northern California District, BLM. Transfer of command from IMT 2 (Molhoek) to IMT 1 (Turman) will occur today. 

Location:  Fifteen miles southeast of Ravendale, CA. 

Fuels: Juniper and brush. 

Fire Behavior: Extreme fire behavior. Observed fire behavior overnight was primarily creeping and smoldering.

Concerns:  Structures, power plant and Sierra Army Depot threatened.

CA-MEU- Pass Fire. 5,130 acres. 10% contained.

Mendocino Unit, Cal Fire. IMT 2 (Wakoski). 

Location: Twenty-five miles northeast of Covelo, CA.

Fuels: Logging slash. 
Fire Behavior: Extreme fire behavior.  The fire laid down over night under an inversion. 

Concerns: Residences threatened.  

CA-LNP- Reading Fire. 27,887 acres. 51% contained.

 Lassen Volcanic NP. IMT 1 (Pincha-Tulley). 

Location: Fourteen miles south of Old Station, CA.

Fuels: Timber. 
Fire Behavior: Moderate fire activity with short-range spotting. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering was observed last night. A Red Flag Warning is in effect due to high winds and low relative humidities. 

Concerns: Structures threatened. 

CA-KNF- Fort Complex Fires. 5,631 acres. 41%. 

 Klamath NF. (3 fires), Transfer of command from IMT 2 (Walker) to NIMO (Kleinman) will occur 

tomorrow. 

Road and area closures in effect. 

Location: Ten miles northwest of Happy Camp, CA. 

Fuels: Timber. 

Fire Behavior: Moderate fire activity with torching. The Goff Fire exhibited lateral spread, active backing and single tree torching. 

CA-BTU- Mill Fire. 1,645 acres. 45% contained. 

Butte Unit, Cal Fire. Cal Fire IMT 1 (Flores). 

Road closures in effect.  

Location: Ten miles northwest of Butte Meadows, CA. 

Fuels: Timber. 

Fire Behavior: Minimal fire activity.

 Concerns: Crews were successful in placing lines around spot fires in Division C, however spotting remains a significant concern. 

CFN - California Fire News 2012 

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