National Fire News Report ~ 9/03/08

National Preparedness Level 2

(On a scale from 1 to 5)

Current hours for the National Fire Information Center are
(MST) 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday
208-387-5050
This report will be updated Monday - Friday.

September 3, 2008

The national preparedness level (PL) was lowered to PL 2 yesterday, due to a decline in wildland fire activity. Initial attack activity was light with 96 new fires reported. Two new large fires were reported in Texas and Utah.

Crews and Incident Management Teams were sent to Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas to support Hurricane Gustav recovery operations.

Weather Discussion: Northern California will be warm and dry today with some local gusty winds. Otherwise, look for a warming and drying trend over most of the West the next few days.

Source: National Interagency Coordination Center

Daily statistics 9/3/08
Number of new large fires	2	States currently reporting large fires:
Number of active large fires	11	California (4) Idaho (1) Nevada (2) Oregon (2) Texas (1) Utah (2) Wyoming (1)
Acres from active fires	360,117
Number of Wildland Fire Use (WFU) fires	2
Number of Wildland Fire Use (WFU) acres	34,087
Fires contained since 9/2/08	1
Year-to-date large fires contained	680
Year-to-date statistics
2008 (1/1/08 - 9/3/08)	Fires: 64,616	Acres: 4,626,490
2007 (1/1/07 - 9/3/07)	Fires: 66,676	Acres: 7029,971
2006 (1/1/06 - 9/3/06)	Fires: 80,181	Acres: 7,899,146
2005 (1/1/05 - 9/3/05)	Fires: 46,141	Acres: 7,554,369
2004 (1/1/04 - 9/3/04)	Fires: 55,380	Acres: 7,501,104
2003 (1/1/03 - 9/3/03)	Fires: 45,152	Acres: 2,718,489
2002 (1/1/02 - 9/3/02)	Fires: 62924	Acres: 6,330,440
2001 (1/1/01 - 9/3/01)	Fires: 58,545	Acres: 2,945,049
2000 (1/1/00 - 9/3/00)	Fires: 74180	Acres: 6,524,274
5-year average
2003 - 2007	Fires: 62,599	Acres: 6,922,216
10-year average
1999 - 2008	Fires: 62,862	Acres: 5,754,861

Current Wildland Fires
California	Fires: 4	Acres: 232,664	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 0
Gladding (Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit, Cal Fire): 500 acres at 80 percent contained. This fire is located four miles northeast of Lincoln. No new information was provided.
Iron and Alps Complexes (Shasta-Trinity National Forest): 105,445 acres at 98 percent contained. This complex of three fires is one mile north of Junction City. This will be the last report unless new information is provided. Information: Call 530-623-6415 or visit the web site.
Panther (Klamath National Forest): 48,108 acres at 75 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 14 miles southwest of Happy Camp. Information: Call (530) 841-4451 or visit the web site.
Siskiyou/ Blue 2 Complex (Klamath National Forest): 78,591 acres at 95 percent contained. This complex consists of both the Siskiyou and Blue 2 complexes. The complex is 18 miles southwest of Happy Camp. Fire activity was minimal. Information: Call (707) 441-3673 or visit the web site.
Idaho	Fires: 0	Acres: 0	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 0
WFU Fires: 1		Acres: 33,900	New WFU: 0
South Barker (Sawtooth National Forest): 33,900 acres. This fire is two miles east of Featherville. This wildland fire use is being managed to accomplish natural resource objectives. Information: Call 208-867-4323 or visit the web site.
Nevada	Fires: 2	Acres: 54,765	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 0
Burnside (Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest): 216 acres at 60 percent contained. This fire is six miles west of Woodfords. Structures are threatened. Currently, no evacuation orders are in effect. Information: Call (775) 352-1228 or visit the web site.
East Slide Rock Ridge (Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest): 54,549 acres at 50 percent contained. This fire is 15 miles southeast of Jarbidge. Structures are threatened. Information: Call (866) 534-9622 or visit the web site.
Oregon	Fires: 2	Acres: 1,883	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 1
Lonesome Complex (Rogue River National Forest): 923 acres at 35 percent contained. This complex of three fires is 20 miles northeast of Prospect. Fire activity was minimal. Information: Visit the web site.
Rattle (Umpqua National Forest): 960 acres at 15 percent contained. This fire is 30 miles east of Glide. Firefighters are managing the incident as a confine and contain management strategy. Information: Call (541) 496-9609 or visit the web site.
Middle Fork Complex (Willamette National Forest): This fire was contained at 218 acres.
Utah	Fires: 1	Acres: 3,432	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 0
WFU Fires: 1		Acres: 187	New WFU: 1
Porcupine Ranch (Southeast Area Office, Utah Department of Forestry): 3,432 acres at 85 percent contained. The fire burned actively yesterday. Structures are threatened and evacuations and road closures are in effect. Information: Call (801)703-0225, (435) 260-1825, or visit the web site.
NEW Fish (Manti-La Sal National Forest): 187 acres. This fire is 27 miles northwest of Helper. This wildland fire use is being managed to accomplish natural resource objectives. Information: Call (435) 384-2372.
Wyoming	Fires: 1	Acres: 67,141	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 0
Gunbarrel (Shoshone National Forest): 67,141 acres at 78 percent contained. This fire is 40 miles west of Cody. This will be the last report unless significant activity occurs. Information: Call (307) 527-6921 or visit the web site.

3 killed in air tanker crash near Stead

By SCOTT SONNER
Associated Press Writer

RENO — An air tanker hoping to drop retardant on a wildfire in the Sierra Nevada crashed on takeoff near Reno on Monday, killing all three crew members on board.

The twin-engine P2V air tanker owned by Neptune Aviation of Missoula, Mont., had been fighting a wildfire earlier in the day that had forced evacuations over the weekend in California’s Alpine County near Hope Valley south of Lake Tahoe, Reno fire spokesman Steve Frady said Monday night.

Names of the three confirmed dead in the crash had not been released, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Preliminary reports from witnesses suggested the tanker lost a piece of its engine or a wing after its 6:11 p.m. takeoff from Reno-Stead Airport before it caught fire and went down about a half-mile away, he said.

It marked at least the third time a P2V owned by Neptune suffered a fatal crash while fighting wildfires on government contract over the past 15 years. Two men were killed when one crashed near Missoula in 1994 and two other men died in a crash near Reserve, N.M., in 1998.

Officials for Neptune did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Monday night.

Investigators for the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were on their way to the scene, officials said.

The crash just north of Reno started a small brush fire that local crews extinguished, Frady said. He said the debris field from the crash covered approximately 5 square miles northwest of the airport northeast of U.S. Highway 395.

“It was full of fuel and retardant and had been on the Hope Valley fire and apparently was headed back to make one last drop,” Frady told The Associated Press.

The plane was an anti-submarine bomber built in 1962 by Lockheed and used by the U.S. Navy to patrol the ocean.

The fire in California south of Lake Tahoe had burned about 150 acres and was estimated to be 30 percent contained on Monday.

Source Story: Lahontan Valley News
Photo Credit: By Marilyn Newton, The Gazette-Journal/AP (More Photos at Link)
Initial Post: 7:35AM, 9/2/08

Update ~ 4:30PM

USDA Forest Service
Fire and Aviation Management
Briefing Paper

Date: Tuesday, September 2, 2008


Topic: Fatal airtanker crash near Stead Airport north of Reno, NV

Background:

• A P2V airtanker crashed at approximately 6 pm PDT Monday, September 1 shortly after take-off from Stead Airport 15 miles north of Reno in Washoe County, NV,
• The airtanker was owned and operated by Neptune Aviation of Missoula, MT.
• Three contract crewmembers, including the pilot are reported to have been aboard and are presumed dead.
• The airtanker was one of 19 heavy airtankers under contract by the US Forest Service.
• Earlier on Monday, the airtanker made retardant drops on the Burnside Fire on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The approximately 200-acre Burnside Fire is located south of Lake Tahoe in Alpine County, CA.
• After completing sorties on the Burnside Fire, the airtanker was ordered by Cal Fire to the Smitty Fire in Calaveras County, CA on the Tuolumne-Calaveras Administrative Unit.
• The airtanker crashed soon after take-off on its first run to the Smitty Fire. The airtanker completed no drops on the Smitty Fire.

Current Situation:

• The NTSB is investigating.
• The cause of the accident is unknown. There is no known link or common cause related to previous accidents.

Key Points:

• The Forest Service’s first concern is for the families and friends of those who were aboard the airtanker.
• The Forest Service conducts thorough inspections of all aircraft before each wildfire season to ensure each aircraft complies with Forest Service safety standards.
• The Forest Service completed engineering studies and modified airtankers to eliminate the metal fatigue related to the 2002 airtanker accidents.
• Media calls should be directed to the NTSB at 202-314-6100.

Contact: Becky Rine. 202-205-1450

6 Firefighters Hurt In Stockton Port Blaze / Explosion

STOCKTON – Six Stockton firefighters were rushed to a hospital today after an explosion at a Stockton co-generation plant at the Port of Stockton.

The most seriously of those hurt suffered a knee injury and all six were able to walk away from the blast site at FPL Energy's POSDEF facility in the 2500 block of West Washington Street.

The firefighters were called to the facility shortly after 9 a.m. to a report of smoke coming from a silo.

Responding firefighters were delayed by railroad cars at a railroad crossing and had to find a different route to the plant. Once there, firefighters were again stymied when they learned the fire hydrant closest to the building was out of service. Firefighters had to go to the next closest firefight hydrant and had to relay pump the water to firefighters.

Five firefighters were just inside the building and one just outside the building on stairs when the explosion occurred. The firefighter on the stairs was the firefighter who suffered the worst of the injuries.

Firefighters purposely held in reserve should firefighters need assistance then moved in to help the firefighters from the building. Second and third alarms were called, with the third alarm canceled shortly afterward. The fire was controlled shortly before 10 a.m.

Source: Stockton Record
By Recordnet.com staff writer Keith Michaud.
Photo Credit: KCRA

National Fire News Report ~ 9/02/08

National Preparedness Level 3

(On a scale from 1 to 5)

Current hours for the National Fire Information Center are
(MST) 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday
208-387-5050
This report will be updated Monday - Friday.

September 2, 2008

Wildland fire activity remains light. Crews and Incident Management Teams were sent to Atlanta, Georgia and Denton, Texas to support Hurricane Gustav recovery operations.

A Neptune Aviation P2-4 airtanker crashed yesterday near Reno, Nevada. The crew members aboard were fatally injured. The firefighting community extends condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

Weather Discussion: Northern California is predicted to have weakened gusty winds along with warm and dry conditions. Warming and drying is predicted for the rest of the West.

Source: National Interagency Coordination Center

Daily statistics 9/2/08
Number of new large fires	1	States currently reporting large fires:
Number of active large fires	11	California (4) Idaho (1) Nevada (2) Oregon (3) Utah (1) Wyoming (1)
Acres from active fires	359,622
Number of Wildland Fire Use (WFU) fires	1
Number of Wildland Fire Use (WFU) acres	33,600
Fires contained since 8/31/08	2
Year-to-date large fires contained	679
Year-to-date statistics
2008 (1/1/08 - 9/2/08)	Fires: 64,505	Acres: 4,623,563
2007 (1/1/07 - 9/2/07)	Fires: 65,966	Acres: 6,971,593
2006 (1/1/06 - 9/2/06)	Fires: 79,944	Acres: 7,820,449
2005 (1/1/05 - 9/2/05)	Fires: 45,804	Acres: 7,447,188
2004 (1/1/04 - 9/2/04)	Fires: 55,044	Acres: 7,381,166
2003 (1/1/03 - 9/2/03)	Fires: 44,823	Acres: 2,695,156
2002 (1/1/02 - 9/2/02)	Fires: 61,630	Acres: 6,314,411
2001 (1/1/01 - 9/2/01)	Fires: 58,340	Acres: 2,913,761
2000 (1/1/00 - 9/2/00)	Fires: 73,966	Acres: 6,482,016
5-year average
2003 - 2007	Fires: 62,253	Acres: 6,848,792
10-year average
1999 - 2008	Fires: 62,709	Acres: 5,734,668

Current Wildland Fires
California	Fires: 4	Acres: 232,337	New fires: 1	Fires contained: 0
NEW Gladding (Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit, Cal Fire): 400 acres at zero percent contained. This fire is located four miles northeast of Lincoln. Evacuations are in order.
Iron and Alps Complexes (Shasta-Trinity National Forest): 105,445 acres at 98 percent contained. This complex of three fires is one mile north of Junction City. Numerous structures remain threatened. Information: Call 530-623-6415 or visit the web site.
Panther (Klamath National Forest): 48,108 acres at 75 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 14 miles southwest of Happy Camp. Information: Call 530-841-4406 or visit the web site.
Siskiyou/ Blue 2 Complex (Klamath National Forest): 78,384 acres at 95 percent contained. This complex consists of both the Siskiyou and Blue 2 complexes. The complex is 18 miles southwest of Happy Camp. Cultural sites remain threatened. Information: Call 530-627-3532 or visit the web site.
Colorado	Fires: 1	Acres: 679	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 0
Jordan (White River Field Office, Bureau of Land Management): 679 acres at five percent contain. This fire is seven miles northwest of Meeker. Fire activity increased. Structures are threatened. Information: Call (970) 319-4130.
Idaho	Fires: 2	Acres: 12,900	New fires: 1	Fires contained: 1
WFU Fires: 3		Acres: 35,394	New WFU: 0
Shoestring (Twin Falls Field Office, Bureau of Land Management): 2,200 acres at 85 percent contained. Active fire behavior was reported.
Nature (Twin Falls Field Office, Bureau of Land Management): 10,700 acres at 35 percent contained. The fire made active runs yesterday.
South Barker (Sawtooth National Forest): 31,744 acres. This fire is two miles east of Featherville. This wildland fire use is being managed to accomplish natural resource objectives. Active fire behavior was reported. Information: Call 208-867-4323 or visit the web site.
Willow (Caribou-Targhee National Forest): 3,650 acres. This fire is 11 miles west of Macks Inn. This wildland fire use is being managed to accomplish natural resource objectives.
Montana	Fires: 2	Acres: 66,853	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 0
Dunn Mountain Assist (Southern Land Office, Montana Department of Natural Resources): 61,353 acres at zero percent contained. This fire was previously reported as contained. Extreme fire behavior was reported. Residences, communication sites and power lines are threatened.
Kathryn (Lewiston Field Office, Bureau of Land Management): 5,500 acres at 90 percent contained. This fire is 10 miles west of Malta. No new information was provided.
Nevada	Fires: 2	Acres: 48,178	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 0
Irish (Ely Field Office, Bureau of Land Management): 477 acres at 50 percent contained. This fire is 45 miles west of Caliente. No new information was provided. This will be the last report unless significant activity is reported.
East Slide Rock Ridge (Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest): 47,701 acres at 10 percent contained. This fire is 15 miles southeast of Jarbidge. Moderate fire behavior was reported. Structures are threatened and area closures are in effect. Information: Call (775) 748-4141 or visit the web site.
New Jersey	Fires: 1	Acres: 106	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 0
Swamp (New Jersey Forest Fire Service): 106 acres at 60 percent contained. This fire is six miles north of Hammonton. Moderate fire activity was reported.
New Mexico	Fires: 0	Acres: 0	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 0
WFU Fires: 1		Acres: 830	New WFU: 0
Alta (Sante Fe National Forest): 830 acres. This fire is four miles northwest of Youngsville. This wildland fire use is being managed to accomplish natural resource objectives.
Oregon	Fires: 5	Acres: 4,939	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 0
WFU Fires: 1		Acres: 1,620	New WFU: 0
Lonesome Complex (Rogue River National Forest): 551 acres at 80 percent contained. This complex of three fires is 20 miles northeast of Prospect. Fire activity was minimal. Information: Visit the web site.
Middle Fork Complex (Willamette National Forest): 218 acres at 80 percent contained. This complex of 52 fires is burning in Lane County. Moderate activity was reported. Information: Visit the web site.
North Fork (Umpqua National Forest): 1,117 acres at zero percent contained. This complex of 11 fires is 26 miles northeast of Glide. Structures are threatened and road closures are in effect. Information: Call 541-496-9609 or visit the web site.
Summit Springs Complex (Sisters Unit, Oregon Department of Forestry): 1,973 acres at 97 percent contained. This complex of three fires is nine miles north of Sisters. Minimal fire behavior was reported. Information: Call 541-549-3189 or visit the web site.
Wild Rivers Complex (Siskiyou National Forest): 1,080 acres at 85 percent contained. This complex is 17 miles southwest of Grants Pass. Information: Visit the web site.
Ochoco Fire Use (Ochoco National Forest): 1,620 acres. This fire is 10 miles southwest of Dayville. These two wildland fire use incidents are being managed to accomplish natural resource objectives. Reduction in acreage is due to more accurate mapping. Information: Call 541-416-6503 or visit the web site.
Tennessee	Fires: 1	Acres: 1,800	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 0
Old 15th (Cherokee National Forest): 1,800 acres at 50 percent contained. This fire is three miles southeast of Del Rio. No new information was provided.
Utah	Fires: 2	Acres: 4,775	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 1
Porcupine Ranch (Southeast Area Office, Utah Department of Forestry): 4,000 acres at zero percent contained. The fire burned actively yesterday. Structures are threatened and evacuations and road closures are in effect.
Gate Narrows (Wasatch Front Area, Utah Department of Forestry): 775 acres at 90 percent contained. This fire is two miles east of Terra. Minimal fire activity was reported. Structures and power lines are threatened. Information: Call 801-865-2965 or visit the web site.
Corner Canyon (Richfield Field Office, Bureau of Land Management): This fire was contained at 808 acres.
Wyoming	Fires: 1	Acres: 59,147	New fires: 0	Fires contained: 0
Gunbarrel (Shoshone National Forest): 59,147 acres at 16 percent contained. This fire is 40 miles west of Cody. Active fire behavior was observed and structures are threatened. Information: Call (866) 588-5206 or visit the web site.

Burnside Fire - Alpine County

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Under Investigation
Date of Origin	Sunday August 31st, 2008 aprox 04:06 PM
Location	Hope Valley, CA
Incident Commander	Jarren Flinders

Current Situation

Total Personnel	183
Size	204 acres
Percent Contained	50%
Estimated Containment Date	Wednesday September 03rd, 2008 aprox 06:00 PM
Fuels Involved	Timber and understory.
Fire Behavior	Fire behavior is less erratic now that the cold front has passed. Good Progress was made today on the fire due to favorable weather and air support. Handline construction continues. Structural protection continues, but the threat has minimized.
Significant Events	Evacuations have been lifted at local resorts, campgrounds and private residences.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Flinders, Nevada Type III team took over management of the fire on 9/1.
Growth Potential	Medium.
Terrain Difficulty	Moderate.
Remarks	2 Air Tankers, 4 Helicopters, 6 Hand Crews, 16 Engines, 8 Command Staff, 183 Personnel

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	10 mph NE
Current Temperature	65 degrees
Current Humidity	15 %

Summary

The Burnside Fire is burning on in Alpine County, California, south of CA State Route 88/89 in the Hope Valley Area.

Evacuations were lifted on 9/1 at 10am for Sorenson's Resort, Hope Valley Resort, Crystal Springs Campground, Kit Carson Campground, Hope Valley Campground, and approximately 20 residences on Douglas Way. Any future evacuations will be coordinated by the Alpine County Sheriff's Office.There are no highway closures at this time. The Forest Service Roads to Burnside Lake and Pickett's Peak are closed. The Forest Service Road to Blue Lakes remains open at this time.

A Type III overhead management team took over management of the fire on 9/1.

Incident Cooperators:

• Bureau of Land Management
• Alpine County Sheriff's Department
• Cal Fire
• California Highway Patrol
• East Fork Fire Protection District
• Lake Valley Fire
• Nevada Division of Forestry

CA-NEU - Gladding Fire

Gladding Fire Information:
Last Updated:	September 1, 2008 8:30 pm
Date/Time Started:	September 1, 2008, 12:39 pm
Administrative Unit:	CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit
County:	Placer County
Location:	Northeast of Lincoln
Acres Burned:	500
Containment:	60% contained
Structures Threatened:	20 residences and 20 outbuildings threatened
Evacuations:	All evacuation have been lifted with the exception of Virginiatown Road. An evacuation center has been opened at the Carlin C Coppin Elementary School.
Cause:	Under Investigation
Cooperating Agencies:	CAL FIRE, Placer County Fire, City of Lincoln Fire Department, CHP, Placer County Sheriff, OES, CDCR, and multiple agencies from Nevada, Yuba, Placer, El Dorado and Sacramento counties.
Total Fire Personnel:	350+
Engines:	99
Fire crews:	7
Dozers:	3
Helicopters:	2
Water tenders:	8
Conditions:	The fire is burning with a rapid rate of spread. Red Flag conditions remain through this evening.
Phone Numbers:	530-823-4083 (Gladding Fire Information)

Burnside Fire - Alpine County

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Under Investigation
Date of Origin	Sunday August 31st, 2008 aprox 04:06 PM
Location	Hope Valley, CA
Incident Commander	Charlie Dobson

Current Situation

Total Personnel	185
Size	150 acres
Percent Contained	30%
Estimated Containment Date	Wednesday September 03rd, 2008 aprox 06:00 PM
Fuels Involved	Timber and understory.
Fire Behavior	Fire behavior is less erratic now that the cold front has passed.
Significant Events	Fire officials and the Alpine County Sheriff's Office are reevaluating the need for continued evacuations. Structures still threatened include Sorenson's Resort, Hope Valley Resort, Crystal Springs Campground, Kit Carson Campground (all in the Carson River Canyon along CA State Route 88/89), and approximately 20 residences on Douglas Way (across from Sorenson's Resort on CA State Route 88/89). Evacuations are under the jurisdiction of the Alpine County Sheriff's Office. An Evacuation Center remains open at the Diamond Valley School (1/2 mile east of CA State Route 88/89 off Diamond Valley Road at 35 Hawkside Drive) in Woodfords, CA.

Outlook

Planned Actions	A Type III team will take over management of the fire on 9/1.
Growth Potential	Medium.
Terrain Difficulty	Moderate.
Remarks	2 Air Tankers, 2 Helicopters, 6 Hand Crews, 16 Engines, 8 Command Staff, 185 Personnel

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	10 mph NE
Current Temperature	65 degrees
Current Humidity	15 %

Summary

The Burnside Fire is burning on in Alpine County, California, south of CA State Route 88/89 in the Hope Valley Area.

Structures threatened include Sorenson's Resort, Hope Valley Resort, Crystal Springs Campground, Kit Carson Campground (all in the Carson River Canyon along CA State Route 88/89), Hope Valley Campground (south of the fire perimeter), and approximately 20 residences on Douglas Way (across from Sorenson's Resort on CA State Route 88/89). Evacuations are in progress for these areas under the jurisdiction of the Alpine County Sheriff's Office.An Evacuation Center reamins open at the Diamond Valley School (1/2 mile east of CA State Route 88/89 off Diamond Valley Road at 35 Hawkside Drive) in Woodfords, CA. No one stayed at the Center overnight on 8/31.

There are no highway closures at this time. The Forest Service Roads to Burnside Lake and Pickett's Peak are closed. The Forest Service Road to Blue Lakes remains open at this time.

A Type III overhead management team will take over management of the fire on 9/1.

Sunday fire prompts evacuation - Corning

Corning Fire Department firefighters Robert Snow and Bob Nelson hose down an olive orchard on Highway 99W Sunday. ( DN-Zeeb )


CORNING- A cloud of smoke, visible from Interstate 5 about 10 miles north of Corning, rose over the city Sunday after a fire started near the northbound I-5 off ramp at Liberal Avenue. "With the exception of a few places, it stayed pretty much between I-5 and 99W," said Dave Harp, a CalFire investigative officer. "There are a few places east of 99 that burned." The cause of the 120-acre fire, which started at 11: 40 a.m. was unknown as of Sunday afternoon, said Laura Klima, CalFire communications operator.

California Highway Patrol officers and Tehema County road workers directed traffic from Highway 99W onto Liberal Avenue where the traffic was diverted. The highway was closed until the fire was put out around 1:45 p.m. The fire may have been started by a vagrant in the area, CHP Sgt. Stephanie Drake said. "We had a report of a party near the fire who may have started it, but it's under investigation," Drake said.

CHP is asking anyone who may have seen anything suspicious to call the CHP office at 527-2034. Although the cause is unknown, it is "definitely a wind driven fire," CalFire Battalion Chief Dale Kinyon said. Driven by 30-40 mph gusts of wind, the fire spread quickly from the off-ramp, skirted I-5 and entered Highway 99W within minutes of starting, Drake said. A handful of mobile homes were evacuated along 99W and only one structure burned, Kinyon said. CalFire did not know if the structure was occupied. Other structures threatened were able to be saved because of clearance around them, Kinyon said. There were no injuries reported, he said. No other information was available.

Sunday's fire was the second to take place near the I-5 over the weekend with a fire burning half an acre next to northbound I-5 at the scales near Cottonwood.

The second fire was reported Friday at 10:10 p.m. and CalFire was on the scene at 10:23 p.m., said CalFire Capt. John Wilson. The scene was cleared by 11:51 p.m., he said. There was no damage and the cause is under investigation. No further information was available.

Source Article: Red Bluff Daily News, By Julie Zeeb (Daily News Staff Writer)
Photo Credit: Julie Zeeb (Daily News Staff Writer)