[UPDATE 12:57 a.m.] Over 300 Lightning Strikes This Afternoon, Multiple Reports of Fires

light by Auxier

Ominous clouds southeast of Alderpoint. [Photo by LaDonna Auxier]

Lightning is striking in multiple areas of the Emerald Triangle today. The National Weather Service estimates that there have been over 200 cloud/ground instances this afternoon.

Folks to the east can expect to see more lightning. The Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for isolated to scattered dry thunderstorms through 8 pm for Trinity County. There are reports from readers of strikes north of Laytonville (a fire was reported near the Hog Farm.) Readers in Trinity County are reporting multiple strikes and at least eight smoke columns–one northwest of Ruth Lake.

We’re going to keep a running report of any lightning fires here.

UPDATE 5:49 p.m.: Scanner traffic says, “First confirmed smoke in the Zenia area.” Alderpoint Fire folks have been called to respond.

UPDATE 5:55 p.m.: Folks near Alderpont are reporting some rain!

UPDATE 6:02 p.m.: We’re up to 300 lightning strikes now.

UPDATE 6:15 p.m.: There is an active storm cell over Zenia according to the scanner.

UPDATE 6:17 p.m.: Scanner traffic says, “Mendocino is working a number of fires in northern Mendocino.” Also, report of a fire east of Fort Seward.

UPDATE 6:18 p.m.: A structure has been struck by lightning at 1206 Casterlin Road. A metal shop was struck. A transformer is down. “Life threat!”

UPDATE 6:24 p.m.: Photo of a rain area north of Willits taken from a plane by Desirae Zuniga.

lf

UPDATE 6:46 p.m.:Weott has lost power.

UPDATE 6:50 p.m.:
Weather Service stating, “Over 30 fires reported. If you live and/or will be driving in interior NW CA, be on the lookout for fire fighting vehicles on the roads.”

Scanner traffic says PG&E Substation in Fruitland is on fire following a lightning strike.

UPDATE 7:08 p.m: “Looking east from Garberville,” photo from Chris Wissing.

11813517_10206891227985406_2039914270826119332_nUPDATE 7:21 p.m.: Fire on Reed Mountain. (Shown below) Another on Pratt Mountain.

lfreed

UPDATE 7:28 p.m.: Fire above rodeo grounds about 2 miles on East Branch. 1/4 acre grass and timber understory. Another  fire in Blocksburg area.

UPDATE 7:30 p.m.: Numerous fires along Hwy 36, in Benbow and Blocksburg reported per scanner. “May need extra bodies later for evacuations.” Three lightning strikes on eastern side of Gilliam Butte.

UPDATE 7:50 p.m.: Cinnamon Paula, Executive Director of the Garberville Redway Area Chamber of Congress sent multiple photos of fires. She said, “We counted possibly 9 fires on our way toward Harris.”  Here is one of the shots.

lf2

UPDATE 8:07 p.m.: Multiple fires as seen from this photo. “Larrabee Ranch sub division, off Sunset Ridge road, about one mile due west of Blocksburg. I was facing southeast-ish,” says the photographer.

IMG_20150730_194303661_HDR (1)

UPDATE 8:11 p.m.: Scanner traffic reports a fire on Cemetery Road off of Alderpoint Road in the Fort Seward area. Structures nearby.

UPDATE 8:15 p.m.: Reminder to not only appreciate the firefighters but the hardworking inmate crews!

UPDATE 8:26 p.m.:

UPDATE 8:30 p.m.:

UPDATE 8:40 p.m.: Scanner says, Barn on fire on Alderpoint Road. Don’t have more precise information. Will try to get it.

UPDATE 8:47 p.m.: Transformers on fire at the Dobins Creek power plant, according to scanner traffic.

UPDATE 9 p.m.: Dobbins structure is on  fire, according to the scanner.

UPDATE 9:16 p.m.: One fire in Bell Springs Road area is contained!

UPDATE 9:27 p.m.: Multiple columns of smoke rising as seen from Peak Road looking north towards Blocksburg. Photo by Hannah Minikel.lf Hannah Minikel

UPDATE 9:29 p.m.: Crews responding to three fires about 15 miles up Blocksburg Road. A structure is threatened.

UPDATE 9:50 p.m.: Natasha Carrico gave us permission to show her video of a helicopter getting water to drop on blaze near the Cal Fire Station at Alderpoint.

As of 9:45 p.m., Carrico writes, “That whole hillside is glowing red. [I]t looks like its about to break at the top of the ridge…almost can see flames.”

“Priortity is going to be behind the Cal Fire Station,” says Cal Fire command over the scanner at 9:53 p.m.”
Here’s a photo of the glow from the fire Carrico sent us. Earlier she said a large number of Alderpoint residents were out watching the firefighters battle this blaze.
lf natasha

UPDATE 10 p.m.: Scanner traffic says line around Casterlin school fire. Contained at a half to 3/4’s of an acre. However, there is another fire near the Blocksburg Church.

UPDATE 10:05 p.m.: National Weather Service tweets, “Estimate nearly 400 lightning strikes in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity counties this afternoon/evening. Many fires reported.”

UPDATE 10:45 p.m.: Private water tender willing to stay at Casterlin School fire to allow firefighters to go to the next most needed space, says scanner. This is a constant theme. I know two private landowners fighting fires on their land by themselves. The scanner in among the constant firefighters at work breaks out with “locals did this and locals did that.”

Hurrah for the firefighters, the inmate crews and the locals who are right there stomping out fires and cutting line!

UPDATE 10:54 p.m.: 

UPDATE 7/31 12:57 a.m.: Four new fires have been reported in the Alderpoint area, according to scanner traffic. The largest one is “six miles down Alderpoint Road towards Blocksburg.”

UPDATE 7/31  7:18 a.m.: New information on the Lightning Fires posted here.

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96 Comments
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Bee
Guest
Bee
8 years ago

Thanks kym they’re reporting fires near Hayfork and Post mtn
/Trinity pines

Ben
Guest
Ben
8 years ago

Hearing thunder from the east…

Danielle
Guest
Danielle
8 years ago

rain? wow! that’s good news!!!! Thanks for the hope Kym! <3

ED Denson
Guest
ED Denson
8 years ago

Not enough rain to completely wet the surface of the ground, but it really cooled things off a lot. More coming from the west, nice thunder.

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago

Constant lightning and thunder to the north of Alderpoint.

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago

Subsiding in Alderpoint. Now active over to the west towards Garberville.

ED Denson
Guest
ED Denson
8 years ago

Very brief power outage in Alderpoint a few minutes ago, and some flickering since then. More thunder.

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago

Power out in Alderpoint

Britney
Guest
Britney
8 years ago
Reply to  Eastside

Thanks for the info !! Any fires around Alderpoint ??

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago
Reply to  Britney

Not that I know of.

G-ma
Guest
G-ma
8 years ago

Oh lord people hold on.becareful.we will be praying!!!thanks for the great up dates,much appreciated

Crescent city
Guest
Crescent city
8 years ago

Has anyone heard reports of a wildfire near crescent city. Not sure if it’s a thunderhead or a plume of smoke.

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago

KMUD says 5 fires in Pratt Mt.

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago

Can see 2 possibly 3 plumes of smoke on the east face of Pratt towards the top. Due east of Alderpoint.

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago

Due west, sorry

Jacqueline
Guest
Jacqueline
8 years ago

You get some awesome pictures, you have surpassed LOCO in a major way, thank you

Ghostown
Guest
Ghostown
8 years ago
Reply to  Jacqueline

Up vote

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago

Ed , what’s that chopper doing up towards Fire Camp?

August West
Guest
August West
8 years ago

So I live near Whitlow. Saw post about fire at Fruitland PGE, they’ll be all over that. Anyone seeing anything else?

Ray
Guest
Ray
8 years ago

Is there a fire in rancho seqouia

MMom
Guest
MMom
8 years ago

There are up to six fires on the Kinsey Ranch. One west of Ray’s Creek and one in the Squaw Creek drainage. Others are scattered around in the timber. If you are a praying person, please pray for us!

Gabyr
Guest
Gabyr
8 years ago

I appreciate this coverage. Thanks 🙂 Phillipsville

Zenia
Guest
Zenia
8 years ago

Looking west from Zenia at about 645 just after the rain and lightning. Counted 6 fires at least

LostCoaster
Guest
LostCoaster
8 years ago
Reply to  Zenia

wow — incredible photo!

Zenia
Guest
Zenia
8 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Fires are still blazing. Can only see the one in this photo but I can actually count 3 separate fires

Zenia
Guest
Zenia
8 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

We are in Zenia facing west the Pratt mt. Area I believe. One for sure is still strong and appears to be spreading.

kettenpom
Guest
kettenpom
8 years ago
Reply to  Zenia

Thanks so much for your updates!

Humanityfirst
Guest
Humanityfirst
8 years ago

I’m in Fortuna and praying for every one close to the fires and firefighters.

silverlining
Guest
silverlining
8 years ago

All the bombers are on previous larger fires for right now I assume. These might end being complexes before this is over.

Shake
Guest
Shake
8 years ago

Fantastic updates & photos. God bless our firefighters, stay safe everyone!

Robert
Guest
Robert
8 years ago

Worried about my brother and his family in Fort Seward…he said there’s fires all around him. Please keep us updated, Kim!

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Heard house and barn burned to the ground out Casterlin Rd.

Pattie Watson
Guest
8 years ago

So glad got my internet up and running yesterday after moving to Piercy. Quiet here. Thanks so much Kym for keeping us posted.

Grumpy
Guest
Grumpy
8 years ago

Air recon found 60 fires between big bar and mendo along south fork mt..no aircraft available today, so big air show Friday if aircraft are available, they did put smokejumpers on some fires..

silverlining
Guest
silverlining
8 years ago
Reply to  Grumpy

That looks scary. I sure hope it stays calm with no wind.

William Shakespeare
Guest
William Shakespeare
8 years ago

Fire crest just went past my house. Hopefully that good news that they got the small fire past the rodeo grounds in benbow.

Julie
Guest
Julie
8 years ago

Have heard from a neighbor in Trinity Village (Hawkins Bar)…fire on ridge above the village.

Julie
Guest
Julie
8 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Sorry…I just read your post. We are headed up that way soon….no cell or internet service where we are. Can send photos sunday evening or Monday if things progress.

Rhonda
Guest
Rhonda
8 years ago

Any Reed Mt. fire activity? Thanks for the updates.

Hick
Guest
Hick
8 years ago

Them Heitack Boys are gonna be bizzy tomorrow!

Redcrest
Guest
Redcrest
8 years ago

Thank you a million times over for your updates Kym. I’ve got family at Harris and would be in the dark but for your info. Thank you again, keep up the good work.

Redcrest
Guest
Redcrest
8 years ago

Thank you for the updates

ED Denson
Guest
ED Denson
8 years ago

Chopper with bucket working on a fire due north of Alderpoint, over the ridge, making many runs to the Eel river for water, near our house, around 7:30-8 pm. Tried to get pictures but it is harder than you would think. The fire was visible only as a tall plume of white smoke arising behind the ridge. There was black smoke a bit to the east of that. The chopper stopped working around 8:30, and there is no red glow visible to the north so i guess they got the fire under control. Seems like Dobbyn’s creek might have been a closer source but perhaps its dried up or too difficult to access. That smoke we saw could have been from the Casterlin Road fire.

west side pratt
Guest
west side pratt
8 years ago

I’m on the west face of Pratt mtn. I can smell fire as the wind blows downhill. Any news about fires on Pratt mtn?

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago

I’m in Alderpoint, can see them from my back porch. It appears they’re getting them under control. See headlights in the area and less flames. There are two fires from my vantage point.

west side pratt
Guest
west side pratt
8 years ago
Reply to  Eastside

thank you…this is an awesome resource!

silverlining
Guest
silverlining
8 years ago

The oak forests on west side of Pratt like amazing!

Jean
Guest
Jean
8 years ago

Any word on dinesmore area ?

Benbow
Guest
Benbow
8 years ago

Any update on the East Branch Rd in Benbow?

anniebowensickinger
Guest
anniebowensickinger
8 years ago
Reply to  Benbow

East branch fire out just before dark no smoke I am on east side of reed

Heehaa
Guest
Heehaa
8 years ago

Locals have contained 7 or 8 fires between upper Tooby to Dyerville

toast
Guest
toast
8 years ago

Active crown torching at midnight near the top of Picket Peak, that is the cell tower from Dinsmore to the Pines, also above 36 on that steep crap going into Forrest Glen heading east. Get you fair judgings in early SoTrin.

Loosing a critical tower for such a large area, if someone has an email address info for the next 3 days of lightning for emergencies it would be helpful. [email protected] goes to the sheriff but I don’t know if that is best.

Farmo
Guest
Farmo
8 years ago

The fire at Ruth is slowly growing up on the ridge behind the rec . It’s looks like we will be smoked out by morning. 🚒♨️

Bee
Guest
Bee
8 years ago

Yes I’m concerned about Pickett Peak very much seems to be a ring of fire around Hayfork too

Mike
Guest
Mike
8 years ago

At least 2 fires on the north side ofbuck mountain. One was too close for comfort had to get the hell outta there. Pickets peak fire as raging when I left.

MMom
Guest
MMom
8 years ago

thank you for all your hard work.

MMom
Guest
MMom
8 years ago

Thank you, Kym, for all your updates. You are doing the community a great service

Liz
Guest
Liz
8 years ago

This sad news to wake up to. If you live nearby lease be safe, please seriously clear around your home.

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[…] As the sun struggles through a thick blanket of smoke to the east, Emerald Triangle government agencies and local fire departments are trying to determine how many fires are still burning, what structures are threatened, and how to fight back. We’ll be updating with information today on the fires in this post. (See yesterday’s photos and information here.) […]

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[…] Day One: Lightning Fires […]

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[…] Day One: Lightning Fires […]

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